The Thing with Feathers
by hushedhands
Summary: When Maxon and America altered the Laws of Inheritance to allow their daughter to take the throne, they changed Illéa forever. Now Princess Adrienne is coming of age, gifted with more choice and burdened with more consequence than any heir before. Addy is surrounded by love and optimism, but that won't be enough if she can't learn how to find those strengths within herself.(Sequel)
1. Prologue

Adrienne Emlyn Schreave stared vacantly at the small, svelte, rectangular device placed alone on her cherry wood desk. It was hard to believe that something so innocuous could possibly hold the key to her entire future. She'd started asking to see the videos contained on this device when she was thirteen years old. At the time, her parents had made it clear that they understood what she wanted and why she wanted it, but in the words of her father, she was "entirely too young".

Well, apparently she wasn't "entirely too young" anymore. Last night she'd brought it up yet again, catching her father in a good mood, and he'd reluctantly agreed to screen them with her. It was astounding how quickly things happened in the Palace when the request bore a signature from the King of Illéa. Addy had been trying to convince Gavril Fadaye to let her sneak a peek at any of this footage, even just a minute of it, for years. There was always one excuse or another why it simply couldn't be done.

But one little scribbled note from the King, and suddenly the whole collection was sitting on Adrienne's desk.

Sometimes Addy couldn't wait to be Queen; not to have to wage a whole strategic campaign to convince people that they should listen to her. She couldn't wait to be taken seriously, to have her ideas heard, to get simple things done quickly with the stroke of a pen like her father did. It seemed like her everyday life would be so much easier once she was in command.

Addy brushed her fingertips over the electronic data storage device again, feeling its grooves and angles. The mere fact that it was here, on her desk, meant that she was getting closer to her ascension. With the information that she would learn from that simple rectangle, no larger than a paperbound book but containing untold stores of helpful information, she would finally have everything that she needed to make her very first real decision as the future Queen of Illéa.

And the next time that her father's advisers asked if they should begin to make preparations for her Selection, Adrienne would know exactly what to tell them.


	2. Chapter 1

For Maxon, America, and their children, the hour after dinner was known as 'family time', and jealously guarded unless there was a pressing emergency. It was unavoidable, there were always a few nights every month when Maxon or America might have to go right back to the office in the evening, but it was something that they tried to avoid whenever possible. The King and Queen devoted almost all of their lives to their country, but they were uncompromising when it came to devoting that precious hour solely to their babies.

It had been this way for _almost_ as long as Adrienne could recall. She had vague, fuzzy memories of a huge fight between her parents, or it had seemed huge to her at the age of four. Jameson had been a toddler back then, and Maisy wasn't quite born yet. Addy had taken it upon herself to interrupt and resolve the argument that she'd been eavesdropping on by storming into the room and grabbing Maxon by the hand, then dragging him over to America and placing his palm on her round, swollen belly. Addy, tiny hands balled into adorable little fists on her pink pajama-clad hips, had then sternly informed her mommy and daddy that they were scaring the baby.

That was the end of that fight, as far as Addy could remember. Very soon after, 'family time' had been established. Mommy and Daddy were each available for games and snuggles after dinner, both with their children and with each other. It'd made Addy and Jameson feel _very_ important, like a top priority, at least as important as all of that other stuff their parents did at work all day.

In fact, Addy could only remember one night after that when _both_ of her parents missed family time. Addy had been seven years old and overheard Uncle Aspen deliver the news that caused both of her parents to return to the office right in the middle of a game of castaways. England had been in some kind of a weapons stand-off with Swendway, and it was a dangerous situation for both countries. After that, Addy started to notice that every time something was happening with Swendway, it was a dangerous situation.

So, when Maxon and America announced that they'd both be missing family time that evening, along with Addy, it was obvious to the younger Schreave kids that something important was happening, maybe even something unprecedented. Grandma was coming over for the night, and Jamesy, Maisy, Lief, and Rosie were _all_ going to spend the evening with her until bedtime, and _none_ of them were allowed in the family room.

At fourteen and eleven years old, Jamesy and Maisy didn't mind the separation so much. They'd read or draw, or maybe watch television. They were good at keeping themselves occupied. Seven year old Lief worshipped his older brother and was always happy if Jameson was happy, so this news didn't upset him in the slightest.

The only real objection came from the baby of the family, four year old Rosie. She was in a phase of being seemingly surgically attached to her parents. She ended up in their bed several nights a week, and much preferred being carried on one of their hips to walking on her own if she was given the choice. To Princess Rosalynn Schreave, Grandma was no substitute for Mommy and Daddy, and Addy could hear Rosie crying all the way down the hall as she dragged her feet behind her siblings, on the way to Grandma's suite.

"She'll be alright." America giggled, as Rosie's dramatic cries faded away.

"Magda will absolutely spoil her." Maxon agreed, grinning. "She won't want Grandma to leave by morning." He took a seat on the sofa next to Addy.

For her part, Addy was trying to remain composed. Her back was ramrod straight and her hands were folded neatly in her lap. This was a coping mechanism, because if she didn't hold perfect posture she'd be a nervous wreck right now, pacing and biting at her lip and ruining her elegant, red knot of hair by running her hands anxiously through it until it all fell down.

America poured a soothing cup of tea for each of them, adding sugar to her own cup, and copious amounts of cream to Addy's. She passed out the china in heavy silence, and then sat next to Maxon, sipping and waiting.

Maxon had chosen to have a television wheeled into the family room, rather than do this in an office or somewhere less personal. They weren't having this conversation as King and Queen to Heir, they were having it as parents to their child. He wanted them all to be as comfortable and at ease as possible.

"Sweetheart?" America said, breaking the thick silence. Both Maxon and Addy turned to look at her end of the couch, and she smiled. " _Addy_ ," she clarified, "What we talk about, and what you see here tonight, doesn't have to change anything. It's only important if you decide it's important. Your father and I cherish our memories of his Selection, and we know we'd never have met without it, but that doesn't mean it has to be the right choice for you. In fact, Daddy and I have worked _very_ hard, since before you were born, to make sure that you are free to make your own choices."

"I know that." Addy assured her. "I'm the first princess in the history of our country to have these choices."

"Yes, you are." Maxon smiled proudly.

"That's why it's so important that I make the right ones. If I make a mistake with this, every critic who's ever said that I don't deserve to be your heir is going to point to this _one_ mistake as proof that they were right about _everything_."

Maxon and America met each other's serious gazes. "We're here to help you, and we believe in you." Maxon began.

"And Birdy, they're going to say what they're going to say, no matter what you do." America reminded her. "Don't try to appease those critics, it won't make any difference. When they rant about not wanting 'a woman' on the throne, they're not even talking about you. They're talking about a larger problem that they have with women, and sweetheart, there's not a thing you can do to change those rusty old minds."

Addy smiled at her mother, "I know, and I won't try to appease them, but I don't want them to be _right_ , either." It was important that her parents know that Addy understood the difference. "If I haven't made a mistake, and they're claiming that I have, that's one thing. I don't care about that. But if I handle this wrong, and those critics catch me messing up, that means they were right. I won't have that." Addy set aside her teacup and pressed her lips together to keep from biting at them. She made her voice stronger to hide her insecurities. "This is the first time that the nation is seeing me make big decisions for myself, I want to show them that I'm strong and decisive and in complete control of everything."

Maxon and America shared another significant look, this time tinged with sardonic smiles. Half of their communication seemed to take place through those little looks and gestures, and Addy didn't usually bother trying to decode it. They'd translate eventually, if they wanted her to know what was going on.

"Addy, love," Maxon said, apparently ready to share what he and her mother had been thinking, "I know it's important for you to demonstrate command from a young age, believe me, I do. And you _can_ control a lot of aspects of a Selection, or whatever you decide to do instead. But when it comes to love, my darling, you can't—"

"I know." Addy hurried to reassure him. She always wanted to make sure that her father knew that she could keep up with him. He was a smart man, but she could keep up with him and be his heir and really deserve it. Not just because she was born first, but because she was truly worthy in every way. She'd read about love, she knew all the things to say. "You can't control love, it's ephemeral—"

"Adrienne," Maxon chuckled, "You've heard people say that love is beyond your control, I know that you _know_ it, but I don't think you can really _understand_ it until you've experienced it for yourself."

"I can't control who I love, but I can control my choices." Addy reminded him. "I'm going to make the right choice, Dad, I promise. I'm going to do what's right for Illéa, and what's right for this family."

"And what's right for you?" America reminded her, gently.

She'd been thinking about this for three years now. The answer was so obvious to her. "It won't be the right thing for me if it's the wrong thing for Illéa. That's not possible."

Maxon and America shared another one of their impossible looks, and seemed to decide to drop the subject.

"Alright, Bird." Maxon said, turning on the television with the remote control. The screen went blue, and then a menu appeared. They ignored it for now. "I know you've grown up hearing stories about my Selection, but I don't know how much you've put together. Tell me what you know."

Addy nodded and picked up her teacup. She sipped the smooth, creamy substance, attempting to drown the excited butterflies in her stomach.

 _Finally_.

This was what she'd been waiting and waiting for.

"Mom was a Five, the arts caste, and she lived in Carolina. I know that no one expected Mom to win because she was from a lower caste." Addy added, hoping her parents would be proud of her understanding of the social politics of the time. "I also understand the mechanics of how a Selection works, so I'm sure there were 34 other women to choose from."

America and Maxon burst into wide smiles, "And I made my choice." Maxon grinned.

"And now you're living with it." America added, squeezing his knee.

Addy ignored their blatant flirting as she was frequently forced to do. "Mom, I know you met Aunt Marlee in Dad's Selection, she was one of the Selected."

"Indeed, she was, Bird." Maxon smiled.

"She's told me that she fell in love with Uncle Carter before the competition was over, and was publicly shamed."

"Did she tell you what happened?" he asked, surprised and a little alarmed.

Addy blinked. The way her father asked that question caused Addy to second guess herself. "She was dismissed from the competition?"

"Ah." Maxon met America's relieved look with one of his own. "That's true."

Addy was unable to shake the feeling that she was missing crucial information there, but she pressed on and hoped she'd be able figure it out later, perhaps with the help of the videos. "I've studied the massacre at the end of your Selection as part of my history coursework. I know that's how my grandmother and grandfather died." Addy puffed a breath, wracking her brain for anything else. She felt like she was taking an exam, and she didn't want to fail. "Um… I know Uncle Aspen saved your life, Dad."

"That he certainly did. He saved your mother and me both." Maxon smiled, but Addy could see that the memory saddened him. In fact, a quick glance at her mother's face, and she realized that they were both pained. Not close to tears or anything, it was an old wound, but their memories of that day were clearly still with them.

Addy tried for a joke to lighten their load. "I know you proposed to Mom off-camera, and that made Dabby so mad, he still grumbles about it sometimes."

It worked. Both of her parents laughed.

'Dabby' was the name that toddler Addy had taken to calling Gavril, back when 'G's and 'V's were too complicated for her little mouth. The affectionate nickname stuck, and Addy and all of her siblings still occasionally called him 'Dabby' when the mood suited them.

America smiled warmly, "So you have the highlights."

"There are hours of video here, little love. Probably more than you'd like to see, what with the footage of my dates with the other Selected."

Addy nodded grimly, "I know it happened, I've had years to prepare. It will give me a good idea of what will be expected of me if I choose this."

"Yes, it will." Maxon agreed. "And for the record, please bear in mind as you're watching this that I almost always wished that I was on a date with your mother instead, but I had to be seen as giving the others a fair chance, didn't I?"

"It's all politics." Addy nodded her sympathetic understanding.

"Sometimes too much so." America added. "A major incentive to choose something other than a Selection would be the ability to remove politics from your love life, Addy."

"Mom, the person I eventually marry will be the Prince consort of Illéa. He'll be the next person to have your job. No matter how I choose to find him, there _will_ be politics involved."

America frowned, but she couldn't argue. It was just too true.

"This storage device has almost all of the footage that was recorded of my Selection." Maxon continued.

Addy blinked, "Wait, what do you mean, 'almost'?"

"There isn't any video of the rebel attack that killed your grandparents and dozens of others." Maxon said, gravely. "The decision to destroy that video was made in the days following the massacre. It was decided unanimously that it would be disrespectful to show the final moments of so many lives, and honestly heinous to show the deaths that were caught on camera."

Addy's shoulders relaxed, "Oh. That's understandable. Their deaths shouldn't be what they're remembered for, it should be their lives and accomplishments."

America reached across and patted Addy's elbow, "You're absolutely right."

"Also, you won't find anything about Aunt Marlee's dismissal from the Selection." Maxon added.

This time Addy wasn't so understanding. "Why not?"

"I had it destroyed as soon as I became King."

"Daddy, _why_?" she demanded.

"Because what happened to Marlee and Carter was outrageous, inhumane, and degrading. They deserve never to relive it themselves, and never to have others ogle the footage." he insisted.

"What… what are you talking about?" she was stunned at the severity of her father's words.

America laced her fingers with Maxon's and said, "Sweetheart, the penalty for infidelity during your father's Selection was death. According to the rules, Aunt Marlee and Uncle Carter were supposed to be executed."

Addy's eyes grew wide, "Oh my God, _Mom_."

"Luckily, your father was there to save them." America continued. "They were publicly lashed, but they survived and when the Selection was over, we gave them honored positions in the Palace."

Adrienne couldn't believe her ears. "Lashed?" She'd read about lashings in fairytales, but none of those stories took place in the real world. "That's so… _medieval_."

America ran a gentle hand down Maxon's back as Maxon shuddered a heavy sigh. "We agree." he said.

"I need to change that rule." Adrienne said, brow furrowing with concern. "There shouldn't be any death penalty clauses in my Selection, if I do have one."

"I took care of it a few years back." America waved a hand. "Don't worry. The whole process has been updated to be less…" she faltered and looked to Maxon for the right word.

Usually this worked, he could read her mind perfectly and he seemed to carry a thesaurus in his head, but this time all Maxon supplied was, "Bad?" and America laughed, nodding.

Adrienne wasn't ready to laugh yet. "So I can't watch what happened to Aunt Marlee and Uncle Carter?"

"Would you want to?" America asked, surprised.

Addy shuddered, "Not to be grotesque. I want to see it with my own eyes, because I want to understand _exactly_ how bad things used to be. You had the only copies of that footage destroyed?"

"I'd do it again." Maxon insisted, loyal to a fault.

"So you destroyed the record of the rebel massacre, _and_ you destroyed the record of how torture used to be a public spectacle in this country?" She couldn't help but scowl at her father.

"Absolutely." he was so obstinate.

"Daddy, how do you expect us to learn from our history if _you_ keep on destroying it?" Addy challenged.

Maxon was gobsmacked.

It was as if he'd been stricken in the face. He turned his gaping gaze to America, who looked just as startled as he was, and even a little hurt.

Addy regretted how sharp her tone had been, thinking that her momentary loss of temper was what had hurt them. She simply didn't realize that she'd exposed and shed light onto one of the ways King Maxon was still so much like King Clarkson. And, of course, she didn't realize why Maxon had tried so hard, for so long, not to be.

"Addy, it wasn't history to us. It was a bad, bad memory." America explained. "We wanted to give Carter and Marlee some closure, to assure them that they'd never be faced with pictures or video of that awful thing ever again. It gave them peace."

Addy frowned. "Good. But what about a hundred years from now when some stupid adviser recommends public lashings as a policy again? There won't be any record of how horrible it was for my great-grandchild to point to in order to shut them down."

"Birdy, you have a point." America assured her. Maxon was still speechless. "I promise, we hear you. Do you hear us?"

One of the ways Maxon and America had taught Addy, from a very early age, to listen to and consider both sides of an argument before making a decision was by asking those questions. When little Addy hadn't wanted to share her favorite hair clips with toddler Maisy, her parents had listened to her rationale ("Maisy will lose them"), spoken on behalf of Maisy ("She doesn't have clips as beautiful as these. How would you feel if she had beautiful clips and wouldn't share them with you?"), and then made sure Addy was hearing both sides of the argument ("We hear you. Do you hear us?"). After that, an amicable compromise could be struck ("Aunt May will paint new clips for you if Maisy looses the ones she borrows"), and stipulations could be added ("Okay, but not this one. It's my very favorite."), and the conflict would be resolved as best it could be.

Now Addy sighed, accepting that her parents' had, in her opinion, made a mistake with the best of intentions. She didn't think the intentions were more important than the mistake, but they thought so, and they'd probably do it again if they were given the choice. "Yeah. I hear you."

"It's done, my love." America said, sandwiching Maxon's hand between two of her own. "We can't bring back the footage, it's gone. And in a few years, when you're closer to assuming the crown, we can review the Palace's policy about destruction of records, okay?"

It was a good compromise. Addy hoped, one day, she'd be as good as her mother was at making diplomatic compromises. She still needed a lot of practice to get there. "Okay, Mom." Then she eyed her wounded father nervously.

He was sitting so still, so quiet, and she didn't know if she'd accidentally gone too far. He usually liked it when she practiced standing up for her beliefs, she'd need good debate skills when she became Queen to convince people to support her legislative endeavors. Sometimes, though, she got so caught up in winning the argument that she forgot that she was talking to her dad and not an enemy. "Daddy? Are you okay?"

"Fine, baby." Maxon assured her. "Just…" he shook his head and leaned back into the couch. "Maybe you'll understand one day. Your mother and I brought free press to Illéa."

"I know." Addy promised him.

"It was _so_ important to us. I never thought I could possibly be the 'free press' King, and also be a King who destroyed historical records to keep people from knowing the ugly truth… I thought that King was my father, not me."

Addy didn't know much about her grandfather, she tried not to pry into too many details. She knew enough to know how strained her father's relationship with him had been, though. That much was obvious every time anyone talked about King Clarkson when King Maxon was in the room. "You're a great King, Daddy." Addy placed her hand on his. Now America held one of his hands and Addy held the other.

He smiled and laced his fingers with both of theirs. "You really think so?"

"Of course! I'm proud of you."

Maxon laughed. "I'm proud of you too, little bird."

Addy grinned, relaxing into the couch with both of her parents. Her mother passed out cookies and her father selected the very first video in the storage device. They kicked their feet up on an ottoman and Maxon wrapped one arm around each of his redheaded loves. Addy felt her nerves melt away as she listened to her parents' gentle voices teasing each other about what they were about to watch.

She didn't need the facade of the calm, collected heir anymore, not now that her parents had put her at ease. Now she was just Addy, watching old videos of her dad as a teenager on the _Report_ , announcing the names of all of the girls who would later be in his Selection.

America and Addy teased him about his outdated tie in the video, and Addy had to interrupt a kiss between her parents that went on a little too long when the younger version of her dad, on the television, read off her mother's name and province.

As the list went on, Maxon explained to Addy that the applicants for the Selection were sometimes secretly screened by the King ahead of time, but that of course she would be able to choose whether she wanted a truly random drawing or something a little more controlled. Honestly, that part of the proceedings was pretty low on the list of things Addy was worried about, in theory.

The _Report_ episode ended, and the raw, unedited footage of the Selected's departure from their home provinces and arrival at the Palace began to play. It was amazing to see the women Addy actually recognized, like Aunt Marlee, Lady Kriss, and Lady Elise, as teenagers. Maxon clicked the button to speed through the footage of women Addy had never seen before, likely eliminated early on, but he stopped again when America's red, vibrant hair popped up next to a stuffy looking mayor on a stage somewhere in Carolina.

"Wow, Mom…" Addy breathed.

"Goodness… I haven't seen this since it aired." America said, awed.

Maxon squeezed America's hand, "Isn't it amazing the way your mother somehow only gets _more_ beautiful, Addy?"

Addy saw the similar features of the teenaged girl on the screen and the woman sitting next to her on the couch, but her mind couldn't wrap itself around the idea that they were the same person. That teenaged girl on the screen was the one who'd comforted Addy when she was scared, carried Addy when she was tired, and nurtured Addy when she was sick. That teenaged girl on the screen was Addy's _mother_. "You were so young…"

"I was just a little older than you are now, Bird." America confirmed as Maxon leant over and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"I can't believe you got married so young…" Addy shook her head, realizing that it wouldn't even be a year before that teenaged girl on the screen would marry Addy's father and become the Queen of Illéa. And a few years later, give birth to Addy! She was still just a kid in this video.

"I did a lot of growing up before your father and I married." America said, reading Addy's expression. "A Selection really changes things, Bird. Even if you walk away with the man you'll love for the rest of your life, you'll be different."

"In a bad way?" Addy asked, wondering what she wasn't yet understanding.

"Not necessarily bad." America reassured her. "But there's honestly a loss of innocence that's hard to explain… Turning love into a competition, a fight…" She shook her head, "Real love is not supposed to be a war, and turning it into one takes its toll on everyone involved."

"I'll agree with that." Maxon nodded immediately.

Addy bit at her lip, returning her gaze to the nervous looking teenaged version of her redheaded mother. She had to admit that there must be some truth to what her parents were telling her. It would take a _lot_ of growing up to turn that beautiful, shy girl on the television into the stunning, powerful Queen that Addy knew from her parents' wedding portrait hanging in the main foyer of the Palace. Those girls weren't even a full year apart from one another, the only thing separating them was a Selection and a rebel massacre…

There was so much here, so much to evaluate, and Addy couldn't possibly watch it all in one sitting. Now that Maxon had explained a few things though, he felt comfortable letting her continue the journey on her own over the course of a few weeks, as long as Addy knew that she could go to him or America with any questions that came up.

They stopped for the night when America reminded Maxon that he had an early budget meeting in the morning, and Addy was scheduled to leave the Palace for a volunteer shift at the Angeles animal shelter by 8 AM.

Before Addy left for her room across the hall, she hugged her dad closely. "Thank you." she whispered.

He knew she was thanking him for finally letting her watch the footage. "I hope it helps you. I know we've given you unprecedented choices in your life, and that's bound to be overwhelming. I never had to figure out if I wanted a Selection, or how I wanted it to be arranged, it was all decided for me. I resented it at the time, but I'm not sure I could have chosen any better for myself."

"You're only saying that because it all worked out in the end." Addy figured. "If you hadn't ended up happy, you'd know that you could have chosen better."

"I got lucky." Maxon nodded. "You don't really have the option of lucking out, considering everything you've got to decide for yourself…"

"Hard work and careful planning are the perfect substitutes for dumb luck." Addy said, quoting Aunt Silvia and mimicking her voice for effect.

Maxon chuckled and kissed her forehead, gripping her shoulders firmly. "I hope you're right, my dear."


	3. Chapter 2

It was already hot and oppressively humid early the next morning when Marlee, Addy, and Addy's special security team left the Palace on the way to the local branch of the Angeles animal shelter.

Addy had been a patron of that particular branch since her tenth birthday, and usually volunteered there at least once a month. It was a great opportunity for her to be photographed doing a good deed, and it had the added bonus of really helping the animals in the shelter find homes. Any pets she posed with tended to be adopted within the week.

Addy's favorites were the puppies, and today she was getting to spend her whole shift with a group of baby dogs, giving them baths in a little pool filled with cool water. She'd be armed with anti-flea soap and a water hose, but she would need her wits about her to keep the pups from running away mid-bath, or rolling in mud as soon as she was done cleaning them.

For this task, since it was outdoors, Aunt Marlee and Aunt Silvia had agreed that loose shorts and a t-shirt sporting the shelter's logo would be appropriate attire for the Princess. It wasn't fancy, but the optics of having Addy attempt to bathe a bunch of puppies whilst wearing a ballgown were far less appealing. Addy relished the comfort, and knew that once she was photographed wearing the shelter's t-shirt, there would be a mini-fashion trend. The shelter would sell hundreds, maybe thousands of shirts to those who wanted to dress like their princess, and all proceeds would benefit the charity. It was quite a lot of achievement for the first three hours of her morning.

"Can I look at that?" Addy asked, peeking across at Marlee's newspaper. The headline mentioned Maxon specifically, and the grainy photograph on the front page showed an angry-looking crowd.

"Of course." Marlee smiled, immediately offering the relevant section of newspaper over and taking a long sip from her travel mug of tea.

Marlee was Addy's Head of Staff, the way that Silvia was America's Head of Staff. When she'd first been offered the job, it was because America wanted someone she really trusted to help guide her then twelve year old daughter through the day-to-day challenges of being the Princess, whenever Maxon or America couldn't be there to help. Marlee had really blossomed in the position through the years, and was well-poised to take over for Silvia at the end of Maxon's reign.

Marlee and Addy rode in silence in the backseat of the black, unmarked car, the only noise the quiet murmurs from the front seat as Officer Weaver, the head of Addy's detail for as long as Addy could remember, discussed something with the driver of the car (who also happened to be a trained guard, though not one of Addy's personal team). After a moment, there was the crackle of a radio as Uncle Ryland, trailing behind in another black car with the rest of Addy's detail, communicated something affirmatively.

Addy scanned the text of the newspaper accompanying the picture on the front page and sighed frustratedly as her annoyed suspicions were confirmed. She flipped through to find the rest of the article, continued from the front page, and muttered, "Protests in Sota."

"Your dad will probably have to send in soldiers like he did in Tammins." Marlee lamented, shaking her head.

"It doesn't make sense." Addy frowned, anger seeping into her chest. "Illéa has had public schools for a decade now, and everyone was fine until this year. Suddenly we've had not one, not two, but _five_ different major protests throughout the country—"

"Things are different now." Marlee reminded her. "These protests aren't about the schools, people have grown to love those. And for the handful who don't love them, they've grown to understand that it's unpopular to say that only the wealthy should be educated, and they've shut up about it."

"So what is this about?" Addy furrowed her brow. "It can't be…" She shook her head, "This isn't about the income quota…" Marlee nodded her head in the affirmative and Addy scoffed, "No. I don't believe it. People aren't _that_ transparent. They try to hide their discrimination behind other things."

"Not this time. Not yet, anyway." Marlee said. "That doesn't mean they won't figure out how to blame this on a 'funding crisis' or 'overcrowding' or some other veil later on, but for now the protestors are being fully honest. They simply don't want poor children of former lower caste families schooling with their former upper caste children. And they don't want to have to bus some of their children to poorer schools to help bridge the divide. Addy, there are some very nice, very fancy schools that are being forced to take in a certain number of children from lower-income neighborhoods, while some wealthy families are being forced to send their children to lower-income, less elegant schools. They have no say in this, it's mandatory. Change is hard."

"I'm sure it's worrying, being made to send their children to a different school," Addy hedged, "But this is about leveling the playing field for future generations! Wealthy children at poorer schools means more money for those schools. They won't be poor schools anymore! They'll be just as fancy as the rich schools. And having the handful of poorer students attend the fancy institutions will change lives. It will have a measurable impact on the future."

"We see that as a good thing."

"It is a good thing!" Addy exclaimed. Marlee merely shrugged, and Addy paused, "…How do the protestors see it?"

"As a loss of opportunity for their children."

Addy didn't understand at all, "How?"

"If children from lower-income families receive the same quality of education as the higher-income children, they will all be eligible for the same quality of jobs after graduation. More competition for higher paying jobs, and higher qualified candidates forced to work lower-paying jobs because the high paying jobs are all taken."

Addy shook her head, "But wait. The higher-income children will have _so_ many advantages when it comes to other ways to distinguish themselves for those jobs. They'll have private Universities and access to expensive extracurricular activities. Aunt Marlee, they can pay to join a math team or something, and that could land them an internship at a business, which could lead to a job. Lower-income students can't do any of that. They're _still_ at a disadvantage."

"But not _as much_ of a disadvantage." Marlee pointed out.

"These rich parents honestly want those kids to be stuck, undereducated, in low-wage jobs forever?"

"To protect their own families? Yes."

"I don't understand that."

"I know you don't, Bird." Marlee smiled affectionately. "It's not very nice. But making things more competitive for their children feels like an attack on them."

"It has nothing to do with them, really. We just want everyone to have what they have."

"But to share that, they have to let go of some of their power." Marlee reminded her. "And that feels like oppression to them. It's taking away something that they always thought they'd have: Easy access to excellent jobs that yield lots of money."

Addy sighed, wishing it wasn't her job to understand these disputes. "Fine. They're wrong, but whatever."

Marlee giggled, "I know, Bird. But that's why they're protesting."

"Dad proposed that law almost… five years ago," Addy did the math quickly, "And the local officials agreed it was a good idea."

" _Not_ all of them." Marlee pointed out. "And up until now, the integration has been voluntary."

"And it's been an overwhelming success. Schools that followed Dad's guidelines have seen twofold improvement in test scores for students who were struggling before." Addy quoted a statistic from one of the meetings she'd shadowed earlier in the week with her parents.

She attended at least two of her dad's meetings every week, just to listen and take notes. Ideally, it would help her get comfortable and confident attending important adviser meetings before she had to take those on and lead them as Queen. As a rule of thumb, if there was a meeting so important that Maxon and America coordinated their schedules to _both_ be in attendance, it was a top priority that Addy be there, too. That's how Addy had learned how successful the voluntary integration had been over the last handful of years.

What she hadn't realized at the time of the meeting was the main reason the advisers were discussing the success of a five year old initiative. They were getting on the same page, preparing to defend the King and Queen to the press and people.

Addy knew how important this was to her parents. It wasn't just crucial to America's initiatives, or Maxon's initiatives, it was a rare crossover that was equally vital to the both of them. Knowing this, Addy knew that she would defend her parents to the ends of the earth, no matter what.

"Governors should have been phasing this in like Dad told them to do. What are they, afraid of success? Afraid their students will do too well, and they'll lose the governorship to one of them?" Addy groused.

"They don't like not being in control of where their children go to school." Marlee shrugged.

"Wealthy students at poor schools bring resources with them to help pay for better materials. Poorer students at wealthy schools gain access to better materials. It's that simple." Addy said. "We integrate the schools, everyone has access to a premium education, and they don't grow up to be stupid enough to protest a policy that _works_."

"Addy." Marlee laughed, reproachful. "You don't really think the protestors are stupid?"

Addy sighed, shaking her head, knowing how she'd feel if someone tried to force Lief or Rosie to attend an underperforming school on the other side of the city. "I just think… this is really about class, about former caste status effecting the next generation, and it needs to stop."

Marlee gently removed the newspaper from her hands and smiled, serenely. "I have good news."

"What?"

"Your generation, on the whole, has absolutely no problem with integration. There are exceptions, of course, but look at this picture." Marlee held the front of the paper up and Addy peered at the grainy, grey image. "No students. All parents." Marlee pointed out. "The people protesting are your parents' age or older. They're people who have experienced a lot of change in their lives already, and they're just trying to protect their kids."

This did make Addy feel better, knowing that there was hope for the next generation, but she still muttered, "Protect their kids from what? Poor people?"

Marlee smiled and patted Addy's arm. "This is a just a little bump in Illéan history. We're making unprecedented progress, it's just hard for you to see it up close. _Local elections_ , Addy."

"So?" There had been small popular elections for local public offices throughout most of Illéa for three years now, but Addy's parents had been talking about instituting those elections all of her life, so the concept wasn't exactly new or wildly exciting to her.

" _So_ , twenty years ago we weren't allowed to vote for anything, there were only public schools for Sixes and Sevens, and most kids couldn't attend because they had to work in order for their families to survive. The literacy rate in Illéa has _doubled_ since your parents assumed their thrones." Marlee beamed with pride, and reached over to reassuringly squeeze Addy's arm. "Addy, things are going _really_ well, I promise. There's still a lot to figure out, but we'll get there. The same way that you can't fathom living in a caste system, the next generation won't be able to fathom protesting over something as wonderful as economic integration of public schools."

Addy nodded and looked out the window at the city going by her window. "I wonder what people will complain about then." she said, idly.

"Whatever bold new vision _you_ have for the future, I'm sure." Marlee beamed.

Addy forced a smile and tried not to show how much the topic of her 'vision for the future' worried her. There was no doubt that Illéa had entered a golden age when her parents had become King and Queen. Her father was going to go down in history as one of the greatest Kings that Illéa would ever see. She had no idea how she was supposed to follow up on his act.

"Oh, I nearly forgot!" Marlee set aside her newspaper for good and flipped open her pale pink handbag. "Mail."

"Oh." Addy gulped nervously. It probably wasn't here yet. The first of them had only been mailed out yesterday, she probably wouldn't get hers until the end of the week. She took a quick breath to smooth over her jitters and said, "Is there… anything from the University entrance board?"

Marlee smiled knowingly and nodded, "Right on top, as it happens." She handed Addy several sealed envelopes.

The top one held the results from an academic examination that Adrienne had sat two weeks earlier. She'd only taken it for fun, just to see what it was like. Normally people didn't take it until they were seventeen or eighteen, and only then if they wanted to gain admittance to a university. As heir to the throne, Addy certainly couldn't attend a university.

Still, the Palace tutor, Miss Alvaraz, had encouraged Addy to take it early, just to see what her score would be like. Addy had nothing to lose, after all, not to mention Meri Leger was sitting the exam for real, and it would be fun to have a bunch of slumber party/ study sessions together leading up to the exam day.

It had all seemed like a harmless little challenge for Addy. Almost a game, really, like working on a really difficult puzzle and seeing how much she could get done. Seeing if she could keep up with the older kids.

And then everything changed.

About halfway through the test, Addy had realized that she wasn't completely failing.

She actually knew most of these answers, or knew how to figure them out. Miss Alvaraz had always bragged to Maxon and America that Addy was 'academically advanced for her age', but Addy had never cared what that really meant until that exact moment in the test room, as she realized that she might actually do _well_ on the exam.

Maybe even well enough to meet university entrance requirements.

"Open it, sweetheart. You have nothing to lose." Marlee reminded her.

Nothing to lose. Exactly. So why was Addy so nervous?

She put on her patented heir disguise, sitting up perfectly straight and pressing her lips together to give herself the illusion of calmness and command. It was what she always did when she was worried and didn't want to show it. Unless they looked at her shaking hands, no one would ever have realized how anxious she was as she lifted her chin and tore at the sealed envelope.

Addy tugged out the paper and squinted down at the results. Her heart sank.

There had been a mistake.

The paper was saying that she'd gotten a nearly perfect score.

There was no way. She was sixteen, she wasn't even supposed to take the test for another year. Something was wrong.

"Sweetheart?" Marlee asked, unsure how to take Addy's frozen, serious expression.

"Aunt Marlee… It says I'm in the 90th percentile." Addy confessed, lifting her grey eyes to meet the concerned and then shocked blue eyes looking back at her. "I did better than _90%_ of the students who took this exam…"

"Oh, Addy!" Marlee exclaimed. "Addy that's amazing! Let me see." Marlee took the paper from Addy's frozen hands. "Oh, Bird!" Marlee gasped. "You got a _perfect score_ on the English language section. You only missed a handful of math and science… Bird!" Marlee exclaimed again, breathless.

"They graded it wrong." Addy shook her head. "That's not possible. They knew it was my test, you know, the _Princess_ … they wanted to give me a better score—"

"Stop it right this second." Marlee chided. "You earned this, fair and square. This was not _given_ to you because you're the princess. You worked hard, you stayed calm during the test, you did _amazing._ "

"How do you know they didn't change my grade to be better?" Addy asked, still unable to believe it.

Marlee shook her head and clutched the results paper to her chest. "They're graded anonymously, Addy, I promise. Kile explained it all to me when he got his results."

"How is it graded?" Addy had never heard about this.

"Each student is assigned a random number. Each grader only sees the numbers, and doesn't have access to the names. When the grading is done, the names are re-attached to the examinations by a third-party. It's designed to keep people being able to change scores for wealthy or famous students like you, either to sabotage or help them." Marlee explained.

"Well…then…" Addy still couldn't believe it, she was in shock. "There was a mistake, they put the wrong number with my name, that's someone else's score—"

"Addy," Marlee gently grasped each of Addy's wrists, "Give yourself some credit. You did this."

"I'm only sixteen, Aunt Marlee." Addy confessed.

"I remember. I helped your mother through labor." Marlee giggled. But Addy still looked worried, so Marlee gently brushed a tendril of red hair that had fallen loose from her braid back behind her ear and said, "Sixteen isn't so different from seventeen. Meri's not even a full year older than you, and it was the right time for her to take the exam, right?"

"Right."

"Why is it bothering you so much that you actually did well?" Marlee probed, pointedly.

Addy shrugged. "I don't know… I just… I never planned on this. I remember helping Kile pack up for university, and how jealous I was… the specialized libraries, the expert professors…"

"Living with friends, going to parties, experiencing life outside of the Palace?" Marlee smirked knowingly.

"Yeah." Addy laughed at the confession. "It just seemed like a dream. But I never thought… Aunt Marls, is that good enough to get into a university?"

Marlee nodded, smiling reassuringly, eyes alight, "Baby bird, that score is good enough to meet the threshold of _any university in Illéa_. And several universities overseas."

" _Overseas?"_ It was easy to tell when Addy was truly taken aback, because she didn't have time to school her expression. A comical look of bewilderment crossed her face, making her look unmistakably like her mother's daughter. "…I could leave Illéa?"

They were pulling into the driveway of the shelter now, there was no more time to process this. Addy would have to tuck it away, literally and figuratively, and think about it some more that night.

"We need to tell your parents about your results." Marlee smiled. "They're going to be thrilled."

"You can call them and tell them." Addy said, adjusting her shirt and smoothing her braid.

"Are you sure you don't want to do it yourself?"

"No. You guys are going to gloat about it more than I will."

"We're going to throw you a party!" Marlee leaned forward and hugged her, ruining all the smoothing and straightening that Addy had been doing. She didn't mind, though.

"Please _don't_ throw me a party." Addy winced.

"Alright, maybe not…" Marlee amended. "Oh, Addy, I'm so proud of you. You've always been such a hard worker, and now look!" she held out the results sheet, beaming from ear to ear.

Addy saw that her security team was nearly done doing their final check. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful." Marlee lovingly re-tucked that stray tendril behind Addy's ear again. "Did you want me to hold on to your other letters for you?"

In the shock of the moment, Addy had totally forgotten about the rest of her mail. She looked down and saw that each envelope bore the seal of a different English prince. She laughed at the absurdity, that they'd each sent her separate letters, likely containing markedly similar life updates. Rather than coordinate with one another, these letters had traveled all the way from the princes respective desks, across the ocean, and into Marlee's handbag only to arrive in Addy's lap at the exact same time. A waste of postage if nothing else, Addy grinned.

"Sure, hold on to these for me." Addy shrugged, handing them back. "It's just Andrew and Lucas, it doesn't matter."

* * *

It would have been nice if there had been time to shower after Adrienne's morning of administering dog baths out in the hot Angeles sun, but as soon as she got back to the Palace she had to hurry into a family meeting with Gavril.

She did, however, find a few moments for herself on the ride back to the Palace to skim through her letters from England.

Andrew wrote to tell her all about an exciting new idea that his father had proposed of sharing political responsibilities. It seemed that England was headed toward a slow and smooth transition of power from King Eoan to the future King Andrew, and Andrew was anxious to hear all of Addy's thoughts on it. Letters like this from Andrew were not unusual, but they always made Addy smile. It was indescribably nice to have a friend in her life who understood her worries and burdens, who could truly celebrate her successes because he understood all of them intimately. Andy had the future of his country, and the weight of his own legacy, on his shoulders too.

As for Lucas, he wrote to tell her all about his most recent misadventures at university, to ask how she was doing, to tell her that he missed the whole Illéa Palace Kid Gang (including Astra, Kile, Meri, Leo and his twin brother Rogan, Meri's little brother Herrick, and all of Addy's brothers and sisters), and to beg her ("on bended knee") to attend his nineteenth birthday party that month. He joked that, if she came, he'd show up to her seventeenth birthday in December so that she wouldn't have to celebrate by herself.

This made Addy roll her eyes at his weak attempt at a joke because, of course, Addy's birthday was a national holiday celebrated throughout the whole Kingdom, and the younger Prince of England would be one of the _least_ prestigious attendees at the Palace celebration.

Addy handed the letters back to Marlee as they walked into the Palace.

"Will I have time to write replies before my language lessons this afternoon?" Addy asked.

Marlee checked the master book where Addy's itinerary was kept, "How committed to lunch with Astra are you?"

"Completely."

"Then I would say that you won't have time until this evening, before bed."

Addy nodded, accepting her fate, and said, "In that case, would you have someone deliver these to the desk in my bedroom?"

"Of course."

"Did you call Mom and Dad about my test results?"

"I gave them a quick overview." Marlee grinned, excitedly. "They'll want to see the results sheet, it's hard to fully grasp how well you did until you see it on paper." She handed the paper to Addy, and Addy tucked it neatly in her shorts pocket, trying not to blush at the way Marlee was gushing over her.

"It's not _that_ big of a deal, Aunt Marls. I didn't cure a disease or end world hunger, I just did well on a test." Sometimes Addy thought if she was self-deprecating enough, people wouldn't expect such colossally great things out of her reign as Queen. She wasn't sure it was working, though. Her Aunt Marlee was still beaming with pride.

"You're only sixteen years old, baby bird, no one expects for you to have ended world hunger yet. But you've got to give yourself some credit, too. If nothing else, these test results prove that you've inherited your mother's penchant for getting what she wants when she sets her mind to something, and God knows Illéa could use another Queen with that kind of determination." Marlee wrapped an arm around Addy and squeezed. "Honestly, it seems like just yesterday that your mom and dad invited Uncle Carter and me to breakfast to tell us that she was pregnant with you, and now here you are. So smart, so dedicated and compassionate, so poised and mature. No one could ever doubt that you're going to be a marvelous Queen, Adrienne."

"Thanks, Aunt Marlee." Addy didn't say what she was really thinking.

She was really thinking that the only reason people thought that she'd make a decent Queen was because she hid away all of the messy parts of herself. She buried deep everything about herself that was irrational or superficial, and she hid every single flaw that she could find, locking them all away and swallowing the key.

It was her biggest fear, really, that one day someone was going to catch her. Someone was going to realize that she was only _pretending_ to be a good heir, and she didn't think she could stomach the devastation and disappointment on her dad's face, not to mention how her mother and other loved ones would feel, if they ever realized their mistake.

She couldn't do that to them. She couldn't fail them. She had to be perfect, and she _would_ be perfect. She could be perfect if she stayed focused and planned ahead. Planning was _everything_ , it was almost her whole strategy when it came to her future reign. She would do it all by the book, and even if she wasn't as amazing as her father, the historians wouldn't be able to say a word about the first hereditary queen of Illéa being anything less than perfect. The future queens of Illéa were counting on her not to mess this up for them.

"She's here!"

Addy blinked, realizing that she'd been lost in her head and was already at the meeting room. Somewhere along the way Marlee had broken off to head to her office and take care of a few tasks.

Gavril was standing to greet her, arms wide, and America, Maxon, Jameson, and Maisy were all already seated at the table.

"Am I late?" Addy asked, accepting Gavril's bow, and then his warm hug.

"Right on time." Gavril assured her.

"Sorry I smell like wet dog." Addy said, turning to help herself to a pitcher of iced lemon water. "There wasn't time to change clothes."

"I haven't seen any advances from the photographers yet," Gavril said, smiling proudly, "But I did hear from a friend of mine who was covering your visit for _The Gazette_."

"And? Was I too sweaty, too covered in dog hair?" Addy asked, eagerly.

"He said you did _very_ well. You know, your whole family gets a little temporary bump in approval ratings every time you visit the shelter."

"We all have to do our part." Addy said simply, trying not to look too pleased, sitting down in the empty chair between her father and her brother.

Gavril took his seat across from them and flipped open his notebook. "Absolutely right, your Highness. On that note, let's see what we can do to improve favorability for the royal family this week."

Addy's parents had tried hard to stay in-tune with their approval ratings as much as possible throughout most of their reign. They knew that if they tweaked their behavior here or there, the people would be more generous and allow them to make grander changes to Illéan law. Far and away, the biggest public relations effort they'd undertaken in their reign was the campaign to amend the Laws of Inheritance. The success of that campaign was what allowed Addy to be seated at her father's right hand in this very meeting, instead of Jameson.

After that, her parents had been careful to balance public approval with the dissolution of the castes and the institution of public schools for all Illéan children. Public opinion even told them when the right time was to begin phasing in small, local elections. Aspen frequently said that Maxon and America's careful attention to their approval ratings had prevented more rebel attacks and done more for the safety of the royal family than the King's army ever would.

"I guess you've taken a hit in Sota, haven't you, Daddy?" Addy asked sardonically.

"Ah, you saw that?" Maxon adjusted his glasses on his nose, glancing up from the documents in front of him.

"A little." Addy admitted. "I skimmed an article about it."

America placed her hand over Maxon's, "Don't worry about that, Adrienne. Your father and I are doing just fine. The wealthier citizens of Sota aren't happy, but the poorer citizens are extremely grateful for this opportunity. The best thing that we can do is send soldiers to keep everyone safe, and after a while this will blow over."

"In the mean time," Gavril added, "Just continue to lead by example. Hypocrisy will undermine a royal family every time, so stay true to your principles and your people will respond to your authenticity."

"Lead by example?" Addy asked. "How can I do that? I never attended the public schools. I've had tutors my entire life."

"But not _private_ tutors." Gavril pointed out. "You received the same level of education as Kile Woodwork, whose mother was a Four, as well as Astra Orders, whose mother was a Five. And Meri Leger, whose parents were both Sixes! That is, at its heart, integrated education. That's what we're trying to bring to Illéa, and you are all testaments to its success."

Addy shrugged and opened her own notebook. "I can't take credit for that, then. That was all Mom and Dad's work when we were little kids. Good job, guys." Addy nodded to her parents.

Maxon and America shared a smile, and then turned that smile on her. "We heard about your exam results."

"Oh." Addy stood, pulling the folded up paper out of her pocket. "Here. We can talk about it later, right?"

"Absolutely. We don't want to ruin Gavril's schedule for the day by causing this meeting to run long." Maxon grinned at the paper as he took it from her.

"Congratulations, Princess." Gavril said, beaming with pride.

"Thanks, Dabby." Addy said softly.

America peeked over Maxon's shoulder at the results and then pressed a kiss to his starched, white shirt as she took in all of the numbers on the page.

"Has anyone heard about Meri's results?" Addy asked.

"Not yet. You should call her before dinner." America suggested.

Addy nodded and then returned her attention to Gavril. "So… it's a matter of time, right? Before those scores are leaked to the public?"

"Indeed." Gavril confirmed.

"Will I seem too privileged because I did well? Or will I seem smart and capable?"

"I think it will be a net positive." Gavril reassured her. "The people have seen you studying at your mother's public libraries, they've seen you attend special seminars at local enrichment centers, they know that you've earned this. That won't stop somebody from insinuating that you cheated in some way, but—"

"But that person won't be right." Addy nodded, happy with Gavril's assessment.

"Exactly. That person will be a buffoon, and there will be plenty of evidence to contradict them."

"Good."

"Moving on." Gavril said, checking his agenda. "Princess Carolynn—"

"Oh, come on Dabby. It's only family here, it's not like we're on TV, can't you just call me 'Maisy' like everyone else?" Maisy contradicted with a scowl.

'Maisy' was Carolynn's middle name, but it had also always been her nickname amongst the family. For some reason, as she got closer to her twelfth birthday, she got moodier about which name was used. To her, they were no longer interchangeable. America and Maxon supposed it was all part of her finding her own identity, and tried to support it as best they could, though they didn't entirely understand her frustration.

Gavril shared an exasperated glance with Maxon, who offered a small nod of encouragement, and then Gavril amended, "Very well, your Highness. Princess _Maisy,_ your numbers have taken a little slump over the past few weeks. We just need to do a better job of getting you out of the Palace, that's all it is."

"Oh!" Maisy grinned. "Uncle Gerad called. He said he can coach my soccer team this summer."

"Perfect!" Gavril looked up at the ceiling as though thanking some deity, "That's _exactly_ what we needed. Maisy, sweetheart, if you could get your practice and match schedule to me, I'll take care of photographers."

"Not at _every_ match, Gavril." America intervened.

"Five of them?" Gavril pleaded.

America glanced at Maisy and shook her head, "Three matches and two practices, spaced out across the summer, and that's _it._ "

"I can't control the paparazzi." Gavril reminded her.

"It's no big deal, Mom." Maisy objected. "I don't care."

America shook her head, but Maxon was the one who answered, "We don't want you worrying about photographers and approval points when you're supposed to be having fun. We just want you to play hard, okay Maisy-Daisy?"

"Dad!" Maisy blushed. " _Don't_ call me that." Apparently 'Maisy-Daisy' was off the table now, too.

Gavril chuckled and made a note, "I'll take care of it. Three matches, two practices, and that's all we're sanctioning."

"Thank you." America said, relaxing a little in her chair.

"Prince Jameson," Gavril continued, "There's a 'Housing for the Homeless' build this weekend. I know you had a lot of fun the last time, and you look great with tools in your hands—"

"Sure, I can do that." Jameson nodded. "Dad, do you want to come with me? We could build a whole house together. Well, mostly, I mean we'd have a little help, but it's so fun—"

"I'd love to, Jamesy," Maxon frowned, "But I couldn't possibly. Not this weekend."

"Oh." Jameson nodded, "Okay."

"I'm sorry, Son."

"No, it's fine." Jamesy grinned a little too intensely. Addy wondered if Jameson was even aware of how hard he worked to hide the sting of disappointment from not getting enough time with their dad, or if it was so second-nature by now that he really believed his own words.

Addy tapped her brother's wrist lightly, "Ask Leo and Rogan, I'll bet they'd have a blast with you."

Jameson nodded a little too eagerly, but Addy could tell that their cousins were no substitute for their father. It really wasn't fair. Addy got more special attention from their dad than any of the other Schreave kids, but that was only because she was his heir. An accident of birth, really. If Jameson had been born first, Addy would be the one putting on the brave smile now.

Gavril saved Jameson from further attention by pressing on with the meeting, and the next item on his agenda. "Princess Adrienne, you've been invited to co-host a 'clean up our beach' event at the pier next weekend."

"What would that involve?"

"They just want to put your name on the banner, you wouldn't have to coordinate anything. Just go, and maybe bring Princess Maisy or Miss Josie? You'll pick up litter along the beach and, after a couple of hours, there will be a lunch and some swimming."

"Maisy?" Addy asked.

"Sure," she shrugged, her blonde braid falling behind her shoulder, "I'll go. But I can't see Josie liking it."

"I can convince her. Cute boys, photographers, and a chance to show off her new bikini?" Addy nodded, knowing that the boy-crazy 13-year-old daughter of Addy's favorite non-related aunt would be in heaven. "I think you can go ahead and confirm for us, Gavril."

"I shall do, you golden blessing of a child." Gavril effused. "And with that, I do believe our work here is done for now. Any questions?"

"Actually, yes." Addy said, hesitantly, "Too many for this meeting. Would you mind putting yourself on my schedule in the next few days?" She was thinking of her exam results, and what the public might think, theoretically, if she decided to use those results to attend a university. It was just an idea for fun, she wasn't _really_ considering it. It wasn't really possible, not for her. She supposed the universities would _technically_ accept her scores, but she could never really leave the Palace. She couldn't even join a sports team like Maisy had, because being the heir was a full-time commitment and it wasn't safe and all kinds of other reasons that escaped Addy's thoughts at that moment. But did other reasons really matter? You can't be the heir and be a university student, it doesn't work that way. But theorizing about it with Gavril would be fun. Silly, even.

Addy couldn't tell if she'd ever lied to herself so brazenly before.

"It will be my pleasure." Gavril bowed to her, completely unaware of the tangled web he was about to join her in. "I'll coordinate with your office."

"Thank you, Gavril." Addy said, standing.

Her parents and siblings followed suit, and Gavril bowed once more to them as they left the room.

Jameson and Maisy had to hurry off to lessons, but Addy had a few minutes before her lunch break began, so she walked her parents back to their offices.

America wrapped an arm around Addy's back. "I'm so proud of you."

"Why? The exam?" Addy asked.

America shrugged, "Not just that. You're always so happy to volunteer around town, your people love that about you."

Addy fiddled with the silver songbird necklace around her neck. She wore it practically everywhere. Her mother had given it to her on her thirteenth birthday, a family heirloom that had seemed made for her, what with her nickname. "Does it matter to them that I only do it so that I can bring cameras along?"

"I don't think that's true." Maxon, two paces behind them, spoke up. "You love animals, and you love volunteering at your shelter. You would do that, even if we were a normal family of no fame or fortune. It just so happens that you're the Princess of Illéa, and cameras will follow you wherever you go."

"Maybe." Addy admitted. "It gets hard sometimes, trying to figure out where the Princess ends and I begin…" Addy felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and she and her mother both stopped walking and turned to face Maxon.

"I know what it is to grow up with that feeling." Maxon promised her. "Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you're not a good person just because you can't do selfless deeds without others noticing. We see you, Adrienne, and you _are_ a good person and a _great_ Princess. You were born for this."

Addy grinned to deflect some of her father's sincerity, "Literally."

"And in every other sense that matters." Maxon squeezed her shoulder and then let her go.

Addy wrapped her arm through her mother's and they continued walking. "Mom, I think I want to go to England at the end of the month."

"Really?"

"Luke invited me to his party, and I feel like we're overdue for a visit…"

"Hmph." Maxon made a distinct grumble. The older Addy got, the more paranoid Maxon became about those English Princes and their intentions toward his precious baby bird. That was why Addy had purposefully pointed her conversation toward her mother, and pointedly ignored her father's discontented noises.

"I don't have a problem with that, but we'll need to discuss how long you'll be gone and if anyone will be going with you."

"I'd only stay for a few days." Addy said as they arrived at the door to her mother's office. She kissed America's cheek, "And I'm hoping against hope that Astra will want to go."

"You're meeting her for lunch?" Maxon remembered.

"Yes." Addy grinned happily.

"Make sure she drops by my office before she leaves, I feel like I haven't seen her in ages."

"Okay, Daddy." Addy kissed his cheek, too. "See you at dinner." And with that, Addy spun on her toes and headed off to her bedroom for a much needed reunion with her cousin.


	4. Chapter 3

Addy and Astra hugged each other for a solid half a minute, squealing at outrageously loud decibels. When they caught their breath, Astra cooed, "I've missed you, baby cousin."

"I've missed you, too! So, so much." Addy replied, pulling back to study her cousin's face. "How have you been? How are things in Waverley?"

"Wonderful." Astra grinned.

The King and Queen's niece had been on the other side of the country for almost two years now, apprenticing with a professional dance company and enjoying a little bit of anonymity. Her hair was back to red now, but for a little while right after she'd left home, she'd dyed it brown and completely blended in with the rest of the dancers on stage. No one stopped her on the street to ask if she was the Queen's niece, no one squinted at her in a coffee shop trying to figure out if she was actually Princess Adrienne, because she looked vaguely familiar and had the hair. She was totally free.

"Although," Astra continued in a tantalizing tone that promised gossip, "Don't tell anyone yet, but I think I _might_ be moving back to Angeles."

"No!" Addy's jaw dropped,"What? Why?"

Together they moved to the small, ornately carved square table that Addy used for dining any time she ate in her bedroom. There was a cart next to the table all set up with Astra's Palace food favorites to celebrate her visit, and obviously brownies were right on top. The girls ignored their vegetables for a minute and dug into the chocolate to go along with their gossip.

"Okay, nothing is certain yet, but the thing is… I've been personally invited to audition for the Angeles ballet." Astra was trying not to sound _too_ excited at this news, but it obviously meant a lot to her and Addy couldn't help but find Astra's joy contagious.

"Congratulations! That's a really good thing, right?"

"Yeah! I mean, I _think_ it is. I don't know, it's sort of unusual. At first I thought that it was just because of our famous family—"

"Yeah." Addy nodded sympathetically, knowing how hard and how important it had always been for Astra to make her own name as a dancer while making it clear to the public that she was still close to the royal family and the people she loved. It was the last thing Astra ever wanted, to start a scandal about how bad the royal family must be for her to want to flee to the other side of the country to get away from them.

"Well, I don't think it's about the family this time. The position they've invited me to audition for is a _featured soloist_ , that's one step away from being a principal dancer… it's almost as good as it gets." Astra explained animatedly.

Addy grinned at Astra's exuberance, "So if they just wanted you for your name—"

"They could contract me for one specific show, and give me a quick solo and send me on my way. This is a _big_ deal, being a featured soloist… they really wouldn't just _give_ that away to a famous face."

"Oh, Astra." Addy leaned around the little table and hugged her again. "I'm so proud of you. Just being invited to audition must be a really big deal."

"It is." Astra beamed.

"And I would honestly go to every single performance, if you got the part." Addy promised.

"Adrienne," Astra giggled, "That's impossible. Some of them would be twice in the same day."

"I don't care. I'll abdicate. Jameson can be heir for a little while, and I'll be in the front row for _every_ performance and you had _better_ autograph all of my programs."

"Okay." Astra laughed.

"So, wait…" Addy backed up, thinking through the implications of her cousin moving back home again. "Hold on. If you moved back to Angeles, does that mean that you and Kile would—"

"Addy—" Astra warned.

"What? I'm just asking." Addy played innocent. "The whole reason the two of you broke up was so that he could focus on school and you could focus on dance without having three thousand miles between you. But he's only a couple of hours away from Angeles, that's not so far if you meet in the middle—"

"I'm _not_ thinking about boys right now. I'm focused on _me._ Dancers who fall in love and get married and have babies never come back to dance again. Love is essentially retirement for a dancer. And honestly, Kile needs to focus on himself, too. If he does well enough in school, he could get a huge, life changing apprenticeship when he graduates and honestly, with a beautiful heart like his, he could change the world with that. As future queen, you should want citizens like Kile focused on their professions."

"Sure. But as your cousin, I honestly miss the obnoxious flirting."

Astra laughed, but the look in her eyes was sober and thoughtful, "I'm not ruling him out, okay? I just… I'm not ready for him, and I don't expect him to wait around until I am. Someday, maybe the timing will work out, and I won't fight it if it does, okay?"

Addy wrinkled her nose in playful, mock consideration. "Okay." she poked her tongue out, and then hurried to retract it before Astra could swipe her thumb across it.

They fell into a completely contented silence, picking through their salads and quiche, but Astra could tell that her little cousin was worrying over something. Addy had a reputation for keeping her worries to herself on Astra's shorter visits, not wanting to put a damper on things. Astra hated when Addy did this. It made their relationship, usually as close as sisters, feel weaker. Less substantial.

"So?" Astra finally broke the silence pointedly, studying Addy's expression. "What's going on? No social crusades to tell me about, no grand schemes to fix the nation?"

"Oh. Not really." Addy shrugged. "Not today, at least."

"Mhmm." Astra set aside her fork. "What are you thinking about, Bird?"

Addy looked up at Astra, saw her cousin's determined expression, and sighed. She slipped her test results out of her shorts pocket and passed them across the table.

Astra looked them over for a moment, eyebrows slowly lifting. "Wow." she shook her head and then handed the paper back. "I always knew you were a smartie. Remember when you used to help me with my english homework?"

"I tried, at any rate." Addy shrugged. "I don't think I understood most of it, but I wanted to help you whenever I could."

Astra looked down at the paper pointedly, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Addy said, still processing. "University isn't an option I ever thought I'd really have. I daydreamed about it when Kile went, but I didn't honestly think I'd be able to go."

"Why not?"

"It's just… never been done."

Astra laughed, "Well, a woman has never been heir to the throne before, either, you're already breaking one of the biggest rules of all. You might as well go all the way." She stopped joking when Addy didn't laugh and soberly looked her over, "Is this something that you might _really_ want to do?"

"In a way." Addy confessed. "I know I could never blend in like you did, people will always know I'm the Princess no matter where I go, but… living outside the Palace for a little while, with normal people close to my age, testing my limits… it kind of sounds like a fairytale."

Astra grinned at her kale, shaking her head, "You know, most people think that _your_ life is the fairytale. It's amazing how people always want what they can't have."

"Well… it's just a dream, anyway." Addy said, shrugging it off. "The reality is, if I decided to go to university in the fall, I'd be away from the Palace from this September until next May. I can't just abandon my duties like that."

"Surely there's some way to make it work?"

Addy nodded, "That's exactly what my dad would say, if I asked him. He'd say that they'd 'make it work', but the truth is, it would all fall on his shoulders. Any work that has to be done in the Palace, with advisers or guards or whatever, would have to be done by him. And I just can't do that to him, you know? He's already at his limit."

Astra nodded her understanding. "But, Adds," she said, "In a perfect world, if going to university wouldn't hurt your dad, would you want to do it?"

"…Yes." Addy admitted, biting at her lip. "I mean, maybe." she backtracked. But at the knowing expression on Astra's face, she relented hopelessly, "Yes."

Astra smiled, satisfied, "Then I think you should tell your mom."

"What?"

"You're right, your dad would take a lot of responsibility onto himself. He was born into this system of monarchy, and he does the best he can within the structure it provides. But you know who's actually the _best_ at shaking up the structure? At changing the monarchy itself?"

"My mom?" Addy blinked.

" _Yes_ , your mom." Astra laughed. "If anyone can figure out how to adapt the monarchy to fit _you_ , it's going to be your mom. She's going to be your best bet, if this is something that you really want to do."

Addy leaned back in her chair, considering Astra's advice. "It's just… It's kind of time for me to decide about the whole… 'Selection' thing."

"Really? Why? You're not even close to nineteen."

"Well, the advisers need to do a lot to get ready. I need to have it figured out by my birthday."

Astra choked on her lemonade. " _This_ birthday? Addy, that's ridiculous, you're a kid!"

"Hey." Addy narrowed her eyes at her cousin, taking offense.

"You are, though. No one should expect you to make a decision as big as who you're going to _marry_ when you're sixteen."

"I'll be seventeen, and technically I won't be choosing a partner until I'm nineteen."

"Speaking as a twenty year old woman, I _promise_ you that is still _way_ too young."

"Well, that's how it's always worked in Illéa, throughout history. All my royal ancestors married when they were teenagers."

"Yeah, well."Astra tilted an eyebrow, and Addy knew exactly what she was thinking. Their tutor, Miss Alvaraz, had always been tactful when discussing Addy's ancestors, but she couldn't change the facts. It was now common knowledge that Gregory Illéa had married off his daughter at a distastefully young age to form an alliance with Swendway, and that marriage had set the precedent for Illéan royalty for generations.

Addy drank her lemonade in silence, not sure what to say. "I mean, I know the traditions could be _improved_. Modernized. But that's what my mom's been doing for my whole life. She and my dad made it so that I wouldn't have to marry a foreign prince when I came of age, and just yesterday she told me that she's been reforming the Selection process over the last few years, in case that's what I decide to do."

"Maybe one of her reforms could be postponing it until you're a little older?" Astra suggested. "To give you time to go to University?"

"The University thing isn't real, Astra." Addy shook her head. "I'm supposed to start working more closely with my dad over the next few years, not leave the Palace altogether. As a girl, sometimes I have to play by the rules just to prove that I can."

"But honestly, your dad is doing amazing work, I doubt he's eager to walk away from it all. If you waited a few more years to ascend the throne, he'd get to add the title of 'longest serving monarch' to his list of accolades. Maybe that would tempt him into giving you more time?"

"Astra, I don't know that I _don't_ want a Selection when I'm nineteen."

"Really?" Astra hadn't even considered this. "But that's so young, Bird…"

"My parents swear by it. They got each other through some really hard times in those early, 'so young' years. I've been watching the old video from their Selection in my spare time—"

"Hold on!" Astra's fork clinked on her plate, "You have _video_ of your dad's Selection?"

Addy laughed, "I'll make sure you get a copy of the best parts."

"Yay!" Astra gloated.

"But the _point_ is, it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to dedicate myself completely to finding a partner. It's a chance to make it my top priority, instead of trying to balance it amongst a thousand other things. I have to believe that I could find a good match in a group of 35 boys. Lots of women find their husbands in much smaller pools of candidates."

"Yeah, you're right. I think Dad was Mom's first date." Astra conceded.

"That would be like having a Selection with only one contestant." Addy said. "And Uncle James and Aunt Kenna are very, very happy. I guess my point is, I've got to really consider delaying or rejecting a Selection. It might actually be the best thing for me. It's hard to meet a wide variety of boys here in the Palace."

"You leave the Palace all the time."

"Uncle Aspen doesn't let so much as a butterfly through his perimeter when I'm out." Addy scowled, "Let alone a teenaged boy."

Astra nodded and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms thoughtfully, "It seems like you've got some decisions to think through."

"Yeah."

"I'll support you no matter what."

"Thanks." Addy smiled.

"I still think you should talk to Aunt Ames about all of this. Tell her that this is something you actually want."

Addy knew that she could go to America with anything, day or night, but it was hard to admit that she needed help. Her mother had more than enough to worry about.

Finally Addy grinned, "I'll think about it, Pumpkin Breath." she said, using the "clever" variation on her father's nickname for Astra that she'd come up with as a grumpy six year old, ten years before.

"Hey." Astra laughed, launching a piece of carrot towards Addy's shirt. Addy didn't care, she was still in her clothes from the shelter and covered in dog hair. "Have some respect for your elders."

The two giggled at each other, at the sheer ridiculousness of how grownup they were expected to be, coupled with how immature they secretly were.

"Move home, Astra." Addy begged, laying her hand on the table.

Astra took it and squeezed, "I'll try my best."

* * *

By the end of the week, Addy was done watching almost half of the footage from her father's Selection, and she was beginning to have a good understanding of what a Selection process would be like for her. Now she wanted to know what it would be like for the country.

Gavril had done as she'd requested and scheduled an appointment for himself for Friday afternoon, and he appeared right on time, enormous smile in place.

"Your Highness."

"Thank you so much, Gavril, I know you and Aunt Silvia are anxious to get home for the weekend."

"No problem at all. What can I help you with?" he asked as he moved to the chair facing her desk.

"I'd like to talk over some hypothetical situations with you."

"I am at your service, your Highness."

"I've been watching the videos from my dad's Selection that you put together for me. They've been extremely helpful, thank you."

"You're very welcome. Are they everything you'd hoped they'd be?"

"In a way, yes." Addy smiled. "It's hard to imagine a Selection if you've never seen one."

"I can certainly agree with that." Gavril nodded.

"So what would a theoretical Selection do to my approval ratings?"

"You'd see a bump all around, but especially in the upper classes. Traditionalists would love it. They still value the monarchy, but they view many of the changes that your father has made as threatening. If you made a gesture toward an old tradition, they'd probably look at you more favorably for a time."

"And the rest of my family?"

"Depending on how active they are in your Selection, I'd bet they'd see a smaller version of that increase."

"Would I lose anything?"

Gavril shrugged, leaning back in the chair, "Possibly something small from the lower classes, who tend to view the Selection as unnecessarily frivolous. Nothing substantial, nothing that couldn't be regained."

"Is there a chance that a Selection might help my father with his efforts to desegregate public schools?"

Gavril frowned, mulling that one over. "Not in a direct, tangible way. I'm afraid desegregation is simply going to take time. A Selection from you might lead to less animosity toward your father and your family in general from those who oppose desegregation, but would it lead to a total acceptance? No. I can't think of a thing that you or anyone in your family could do to lead to immediate acceptance like that."

Addy fought the impulse to drum her fingers nervously against her desk by instead bridging them together and forcing her posture straighter. "Gavril, what if I went to university?"

Gavril's eyebrows lifted, "It's uncharted territory, I can't be certain how the people might react." When he saw Addy's disappointment, he added, "I could venture a guess that former upper castes might find it distasteful, although university attendance has been a staple amongst those who have been able to afford it for centuries. Maybe the former lower castes would find it distasteful as a sign of exorbitant wealth and privilege."

"You mean _no one_ would be happy?" Addy asked, surprised. There was so little she had done in her lifetime that made _no one_ happy.

"I would imagine _you_ might be happy, your Highness." Gavril reminded her, pointedly. "And there are a _lot_ of mitigating factors to consider. The school you choose, the course of study, how quickly you'd be able to obtain your degree… those would all factor into your net gains or losses in approval points."

"And, by extension, those of my family." Addy reminded herself. Even as a small child, Addy remembered being aware of how her cuteness helped her daddy at work. If she waved to the paparazzi the right way, or gave an especially good performance on the _Report_ , sometimes her daddy would still be smiling a whole week later.

"Princess, if I may?" Gavril hesitated.

"Of course, Dabby." Addy smiled, realizing she'd gotten lost in her thoughts.

"We… that is to say, your parents and I, have gotten very good at playing the public approval game over their years in power. If you _really_ want to go to university, then please… let us worry about everything else for a little while."

Addy studied Gavril's face carefully. The sweet laugh lines around his eyes, the gentle grey in his hair, the soft, warm smile that had helped her through her earliest public appearances. When she was old enough to be on the _Report_ , and old enough to be nervous about it, she hadn't run to her mother or father before showtime. She'd run to Dabby and he'd promised her that he'd be with her, and everything would be okay, and everyone would love her… and now Addy was realizing that he was _still_ making those exact same promises to her, only they were getting harder and harder for him to fulfill.

"What about a Selection?" Addy said, getting to the heart of the matter. "If I went to university in the fall, I'd be twenty years old when I graduated, and we wouldn't be able to host a Selection until my next birthday that December. Isn't twenty-one too old for a Selection?"

Gavril considered her question, tilting his head back and forth as he thought it over. "The only reason that Selections have happened so early, historically, is so that the Prince would have a bride when it was time for him to take the crown from his father, sometime around his twentieth birthday. But if you and your father aren't planning to have you ascend when you're twenty, then I don't see any problem in waiting a few more years."

"My Dad and I haven't really talked about it…" Addy admitted. She shook her head, flabbergasted, "Last year, when I was fifteen, I was 'far too young to worry about such things, Adrienne.'" She mocked her father's voice and Gavril rewarded her with an appreciative chuckle. "But now, five months later, suddenly it seems like everything has to be decided. Whether I want a Selection, when I want that Selection, when I want to ascend…"

"Nothing has to be decided today." Gavril reminded her. "I know your father would love to discuss all of this with you…"

"You're right." Addy nodded, trying to iron over her moment of insecurity with a plastic smile. "That's probably why he let me watch the videos from his Selection, anyway. To start a conversation." She stood and crossed around her desk, offering Gavril a hug as he stood. "Thank you for meeting with me. Would you mind doing a little polling, seeing which university would be the best choice for me, from a public relations perspective? Hypothetically, of course."

"I'll see what I can do." He promised, hugging her gently.

"Oh," Addy remembered, looping an arm through his and walking him out of the office, "And what do you think about me going to Prince Lucas' birthday in England?"

Gavril chuckled, "Lucas is a good boy, his parties never get _too_ wild. I think you'd be alright from a public perspective."

"That's what I was thinking." Addy grinned.

"All the same, would you do me a favor and tour an orphanage or something while you're there?"

Addy laughed, "For you? Anything."

* * *

The Schreaves all ate dinner together in the family room that night, though Addy was silent and only poked at her meal. Rosie was her usual bubbly, cheerful self as she went on and on about the letters that Miss Alvaraz was teaching her to write.

"I can do little 's' _and_ big 'S'," Rosie boasted, and then leant forward as if she had an important secret, "They are the same…"

Maxon chuckled, "Pretty soon you'll be ready to write 'Rosalynn'."

"I can do those letters." Rosie promised, not wanting her father to think she was incapable, and then sighed heavily, "It's just a lot to spell…"

"I know." America smiled, sympathetically. "Daddy and I gave you a long name."

"I love my name." Rosie grinned, stuffing a little slice of ham into her mouth. "It's pretty."

Maxon and America shared a rather long smile, and Adrienne was reminded that they remembered choosing the names for all of her siblings, and that each name meant something very special to them.

"Did you know you were almost called Lily?" America asked Rosie.

Rosie's face went comically confused, "Me?"

"Yes, you." Maxon laughed, and then adjusted Rosie's napkin so that it wouldn't fall to the floor. "To be exact, you were almost called 'Princess Lillian.'"

"Lily, for short." America added.

"Lily…" Rosie said, tasting the word. "I like it." She determined, using both hands to sip her water. "I can have a little sister, she can be a 'Lily.'"

Maxon and America both laughed, "I don't know about that." America said. "You already have two sisters."

"Yeah." Lief agreed, swirling his green beans around his plate in a blatant attempt to avoid eating them. "What we need is a little brother."

"One's enough, thanks." Jameson teased, and he and Lief made mutually silly faces at each other until Lief couldn't keep it up anymore and started giggling.

"Rosie," America tried to hide her smile at her sons' antics behind her fork, which obviously didn't work, "Do you want to go to the library with me next week?"

"To see the other kids?" Rosie looked up, hopefully. America frequented the Angeles public library as often as she could, to read to local children and check up on the facility. Rosie was obsessed with meeting the other kids and she _loved_ story time.

"Yes." America smiled, "I thought I'd ask Aunt Silvia to call Miss Lannisberry and tell her we want to come over. "

"Yes, please." Rosie grinned, swinging her legs excitedly. "Will you read the witch teacher one?"

The book about the witch teacher was Rosie's favorite, she always asked for it. "Maybe I'll read a brand new one." America suggested.

Rosie shrugged, nonchalantly. She was in a phase where she liked repetition. Every time she went to the theater in the basement, she watched the same movie. Every time she went to the tree castle outside, she played the same game of pretend. She liked the same storybook, and the same outfit, and the same songs over and over. She never got tired of them.

"Mom," Maisy looked up from her plate, seizing the silence, "Uncle Aspen says I'm ready for the second level obstacle course now."

"Does he?" America said, a hint of annoyance behind her eyes.

"Yeah, I did the level one in five minutes today!"

"Great job, sweetheart." Maxon said, stiffly.

Maisy rolled her eyes, "You don't mean that. You don't like it that a _princess_ is running courses with the guards."

America set aside her fork, "I promise you, Carolynn, this has nothing to do with your status or gender. It's about safety."

"Mom!" Maisy practically scolded.

"Don't snap at your mother like that." Maxon intervened. "If you have a complaint, remain civil."

"You never listen to me." Maisy frowned. "You'll just call me 'Carolynn' again next time. Remaining civil doesn't do anything."

America said, "That's because we adore your name. We loved it for years before you were born, and were so excited when Doctor Ashlar put you in our arms and we realized that you were a girl, and we'd get to use that special, special name."

Addy kind of remembered that day, too. She remembered the first time she ever saw her sister, and remembered how her mother and father were talking about the province of Carolina, and how exactly to alter the spelling so that the name paid tribute to her mother's home, but not too much tribute that the other provinces would resent it.

"Well, I'm the one who has to live with it." Maisy muttered. "And Maisy's been my nickname my whole life, so what's the big deal? Can't we just forget 'Carolynn' even exists?"

America and Maxon shared a look and mutually seemed to agree to let it drop. With so many children at such different stages of development, they really had to pick their battles."We'll meet with Uncle Aspen to talk about the obstacle course." Maxon concluded. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"I can handle it."

"That's as good an outcome as you're likely to get from this conversation, Maisy." America said. "I suggest you take it."

"Fine." Maisy groaned. "Can I go to my room?"

"Are you finished eating?" Maxon asked.

"Yeah."

"Then we'll see you at bedtime."

Maisy rolled her eyes and stood, departing the table that the maids set up whenever the Schreaves wanted to eat in the privacy of their family room.

Addy turned to her parents and said, "I'd like to talk to her, she's upset about something."

"Go ahead." Maxon agreed.

Addy stood, mussing Rosie's blonde hair as she went, and followed after Maisy.

She caught up in the hallway. "Mais? What's going on?"

"Nothing." Maisy said.

"Mom always calls you 'Carolynn' when she's being serious."

" _So_?"

"So why does it bother you so much all of the sudden?"

"Leave me alone." Maisy ducked into her bedroom and tried to close Addy out.

"Wait a second, Maisy." Addy pressed back to keep the door from closing, "Why are you so upset? What's going on?"

"Nothing." Maisy was a little too insistent.

"I know you're lying, I'm your sister."Addy reminded her. Maisy reluctantly loosened her hold on the door and Addy managed to cross the threshold before it was pushed closed.

They stared at one another in silence for a moment before Maisy folded her arms tight and managed, "It's stupid."

"Tell me."

"I just don't like 'Carolynn' anymore…" Maisy shifted her weight from right to left, then back again, self-conscious. "Some of the kids on my soccer team taunt me about it… they call me 'Carrie'…"

"So? That's not an insult." Addy tried to laugh it off.

"I _know_ , I get that it's stupid, okay? But it's just the way they say it. Every time I make a mistake I'm ' _Carrie'_. 'Klutzy Carrie lost the ball', 'Clumsy Carrie missed the goal'."

"What do they call you the rest of the time?"

"Just Maisy." Maisy shrugged. "I don't know. I sound crazy, I get it. It just feels like they're saying I shouldn't be playing because I'm a princess when they call me 'Carrie' or 'Carolynn'. Like those names are attached to my girlie, princess side."

"Is being a girl or a princess a bad thing?"

"No! But… they _say_ it like it is… I know it's not that big of a deal—"

"Taunting and bullying is a big deal, Mais, even if the things the other kids are saying aren't that bad on their own. But 'Maisy' isn't any less feminine than 'Carrie'".

"I know. But I'm 'Maisy' when I score a goal, and I'm 'Carrie' when I let the other team steal the ball. You see?"

"You're going to let those bullies decide what your name is?" Addy asked, eyebrows raised.

Maisy sighed, "I don't know… I just like being 'Maisy' right now. I need space from my official princess persona. Don't you ever get tired of being 'Her Royal Highness Princess Adrienne' all the time?"

Addy nodded and wrapped her arms around her sister, thinking of how nice it would be to go by 'Emlyn', and run off to university for a few years, leaving all of her responsibilities behind. "I get that. I really do. I just hope you know that you're _always_ Maisy, and you're _always_ Princess Carolynn, no matter what. When you win, you're Carolynn, when you lose, you're Maisy. Happy, sad, at state events, or covered in mud from a jog on the guard training course, you're Carolynn Maisy Schreave. Don't let those bullies pick you apart like that."

Maisy studied her big sister's face for a few moments and then said, "Did anyone ever tease you?"

Addy shook her head, "Nope."

"Oh." Maisy's face fell.

"Because I've never been allowed to join a soccer team. I've met other kids my age, obviously, but I've never been allowed to go back and see them again. I have too many responsibilities. I'm sure, if I'd had a chance to play on a soccer team, I'd have been teased, too." Addy let out a deep breath and released her sister. "Just know that 'Carolynn' is not a loser, okay? And you don't have to hate yourself just because some dumb kids who are probably jealous that you're royalty, tried to turn your name into an insult."

Maisy nodded, and Addy kissed her forehead. Maisy tolerated the gratuitous affection, but barely.

* * *

Addy took a long, hot bath that night, dismissing Bridget, her maid, early. She was beginning to feel extremely guilty for even daydreaming about leaving the Palace to go to university, and she needed to think things through on her own.

How selfish could she be, to think of leaving her family for _four_ years? Aside from the fact that her dad needed his heir, her brothers and sisters were all at critical ages.

Maisy was about to turn 12, which Addy remembered as a very hard age for a girl in the public eye. 12 was around the age when magazines had stopped seeing Addy as 'cute' or 'adorable' and began trying to make her a 'desirable young woman'. It was also when Addy had gotten her first acne breakout, so the two disparate experiences coupled together were completely jarring. She'd always wanted to be here for Maisy and Rosie, to comfort them when those _un_ comfortable experiences began happening.

Was Addy seriously prepared to go away and come back when Maisy was _16_?

What about Jameson? If she went to university now, he might not even still live in the Palace when she got back. He'd be 18, ready to strike out on his own, in theory.

But what if she _didn't_ go?

She'd have to decide about the Selection soon. If she wanted one, she'd need to host it within the next few years. She'd been taking notes as she watched the footage from her dad's Selection, and she thought had a pretty good strategy to keep the public entertained and satisfied. She had the benefit of hindsight to tell her what her father had done well, and where he'd faltered. She had no doubt that she could manage a Selection successfully, and probably end up married to some very nice boy from somewhere.

Someone who could help her mother run the social side of the Palace, and maybe even think of a few public works initiatives of his own. Someone who could help Addy raise an heir, eventually. Someone who would set a good example for the nation.

And if she didn't want to host a Selection, she'd have to figure out what she wanted to do instead. She never had to get married if she didn't want to, but she did have to figure out who would then do the endless work of the Prince consort.

It wasn't like she'd ever get an easier way of finding a qualified candidate willing to devote their entire life to the monarchy. And it wasn't like she had a ton of opportunities to go on dates with cute boys in hopes of finding a husband. A Selection might be her best chance. It might even be her only chance…

She took a deep breath and sank under the bubbles, letting the underwater muffled sounds soothe her.

The people would probably like her to have a Selection, that's what Gavril had said. And the people might not like her to go to university. They might prefer that she stay and continue training with her father for the day she ascended the throne.

And honestly, if she was going to be the Queen by the time she was twenty, _she_ probably wanted to stay and train with her father, too. It was time to really start getting ready to take over, if her dad was planning to retire within the next four years.

Was he?

Adrienne knew what she needed to learn next. She rinsed herself off and then drained her tub. She slipped into her nightdress and wrapped up in her fluffy, pale blue robe, tying it tightly at her waist. She pinned up her damp, curly red hair, and slipped on a pair of warm, fuzzy socks.

The hallway was silent, and Addy paused by Rosie's room to listen at the door. Silent inside, which meant bedtime stories were likely over for the night. She carried on toward the family room, but her parents weren't sitting in there together like they sometimes did at this hour, America's feet in Maxon's lap as they both read documents to get ahead for the next day.

Addy tiptoed, peeking cautiously into her parent's bedroom. Technically, it was her father's, but they rarely slept in her mother's bedroom anymore. That had long ago devolved into a sort of extra playroom, combined with a sleepover/guest room if someone like a younger Astra, Leo, Rogan, or Meri was spending the night and Maxon and America wanted to keep them close to the family.

Addy was just about to head to the first floor to see if her parents might have been called back to the office for some reason when she caught a flash of red hair out on the balcony.

The moment she stepped out, she realized she was interrupting one of her mother and father's rare moments of peace. They were reclined together in a large balcony chair, peeking up at the stars. Her mother's head was tucked perfectly into the crook of her father's neck, and their hands lay entwined on his chest. They weren't even talking, not when Addy stepped out, they were just laying there, enjoying the quiet and each other.

Addy took a quick step away, trying to slip back through the door unnoticed, but she must have made more noise than she thought she had, because both of her parents craned their necks to look at her at the exact same moment.

"Addy?" America said.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Come here, little love." Maxon smiled tiredly, holding his empty hand out to her.

"I didn't mean to bother you. I can come back another time-"

"Don't be silly, Addy." America insisted. "We aren't doing anything."

Addy couldn't help but think that that was exactly the point. They weren't doing anything, and that in itself was so rare and special that she couldn't help but kick herself for being selfish enough to interrupt it. "I... it's nothing." she admitted defeat and took the additional steps toward her father, taking his outstretched hand.

"You were quiet at dinner, Bird." America commented, offering her daughter a little smile. "What are you thinking your way through?"

Her family knew her better than anyone else. They knew she got quiet when she was trying to solve a problem.

Addy perched farther down the chair, near their knees, but Maxon refused to release her hand. He liked holding on to her and her mother at the same time, he always had.

"Dad..." Addy frowned at her knees, avoiding both of her parents' curious gazes. "Why don't we ever talk about my ascension?"

She could feel both bodies next to her stiffen. After a moment, Maxon said, "What about it would you like to discuss?"

"Look... I know we still have a while until my twentieth birthday, but I'm going to have to start making decisions in the next few months about my future... and not just my future, but the future of our family and the monarchy, and I think... well, shouldn't we decide when I'm going to become Queen? So that I know how to time everything?"

She began to think she was wrong, maybe even laughably wrong, by the length of the silence that followed her statement. She began to feel like the girl who, at the age of six, had made a formal proposal to her father's advisers that governmental research funding be granted to any scientist willing to try to revive the unicorn population in Illéa, citing tourism revenue from everyone wanting to come visit the newly revived unicorns, as incentive.

But then, after a seemingly endless pause, Maxon replied, "Yes... we should. I'm sorry if I've put you in a difficult position by postponing the discussion as long as I have."

Addy blinked, surprised that he agreed, then turned to look at her father. His warm, brown eyes were so worried now, where moments before they'd been content and happy. "No, Dad, I'm fine. Everything's fine, I promise, I was just curious."

Maxon smiled at her, and then tapped America's hand. She took this as a cue to sit up, and they both made their way to standing. As they stretched and began to gather their blankets, Maxon said, "I always planned to discuss this with you when you were sixteen... but then your birthday came and I just couldn't do it. You were only a day older than fifteen, after all. I ended up putting it off for months because... well, you're my baby bird. How can I be expected to place all of this burden on your shoulders and then walk away? It's not realistic."

"Oh." Addy looked down at her folded hands, a little hurt. She'd never heard her father suggest that it was unrealistic that she'd be able to do his job before. In fact, he was always the first to defend her to doubtful advisers or reporters.

Maxon placed a hand on her shoulder, realizing he'd been misunderstood. "That doesn't mean that I don't trust you, and that doesn't mean that I don't think you'll make a wonderful queen. I just know how hard this job is, and as a father, I don't want to see you suffer. Do you see the difference?"

Addy nodded, and let him pull her to her feet. Maxon held open the door to his bedroom for both redheads to pass through, then followed them in. Addy stood to the side and waited to see where her parents were going to lead her. America folded the blankets and set them on an armchair while Maxon clicked on their bedside table lamps and turned off the overhead light. He was buying himself a few moments to think something through.

Then he turned to her. "Do you want to be Queen when you're twenty?"

Addy blinked, surprised. "Well... I _c_ _an_ be Queen when I'm twenty."

"That's not what I asked."

"I want to do what's best for the country." Addy replied. It was practically her mantra. "I know that you were King when you were twenty, and you did amazing work that year."

Maxon smiled at her praise, "It took me twice as long to get half as much done. I had received very little training from my father, and of course-"

"He was gone." Addy nodded her understanding.

Maxon considered her, then said "Your mother and I relied heavily on advisers like Mr. Stavros and Aunt Silvia that year, and still, we spent most of it learning as we went."

"But you began peace negotiations with New Asia, you began phasing out the castes-"

"You're exactly right." he nodded, "And I'm sure you could do amazing things in your first year, too."

Maxon pulled down the covers on his bed and patted the spot next to him. It had been a few years since Addy had crawled into bed with them, possibly not since Rosie had been born. Still, the feel of their sheets was so familiar to her, it was like she'd last touched them only yesterday. She folded her legs beneath her at the foot of the bed and watched as her parents fluffed up their pillows so that they could sit up and talk with her.

"Daddy..." Addy frowned, nervous to be confessing something that worried her so much. "If I don't ascend when I'm twenty... won't it look like you don't believe in me? Like you think I'm not ready?"

"Probably, to some." Maxon nodded.

America reached into the breast pocket of Maxon's nightshirt and pulled out his glasses, setting them on her bedside table so that he wouldn't forget about them and squish them in the night. As she did so, she said, "Addy, things are always going to be a little bit harder for you than they were for the men who did your job before you. You're going to have to be a little bit better to be perceived as equal. It would certainly be easier if you did things exactly as the men have done. Selection at the age of nineteen, ascend the throne at the age of twenty, bear a child quickly and efficiently."

In her heart, she knew that marriage and babies were a big part of her responsibility to her country, but it always unnerved her to hear her life laid out before her so coldly.

"To be clear, Addy," Maxon added, "That's just the _easiest_ route. And even then, there are people who will doubt you every step of the way, for whatever reason is most convenient. So, you should also pay attention to what's best for _you_ , what _you_ want to do."

"Sometimes I think that half of my job is going to be proving that I'm able to do exactly what the men have done before me. Like, if I just keep my head down and show that women are capable of doing exactly what men do, then maybe my daughters will have a little more flexibility to try other things." Addy confessed.

America shook her head, "We've been thinking that way for centuries, Addy. It's a good thought, but it's flawed. That's how Grandma Magda thought about me, bribing me to compete in your father's Selection, and that's how I thought about you at first. But one thing I've learned, living in the Palace this long, is that if you want change in this world, you need to fight tooth and nail for it in _your_ lifetime. You deserve the world that you're trying to build for your children, too. Your father and I changed the law so that you'd be free to do _whatever_ you want. Right?"

Addy nodded her head.

America nodded, too. "So? What do you want?"

Addy gulped, unable to believe she was about to voice it again. Hadn't she already decided that she needed to stay home and follow the rules? "I guess… I want... to go to university." she confessed, her cheeks burning with something that was a lot like guilt. "I want to study historical governments so that I can figure out the best way to continue implementing elections in this country, without falling into the same traps that ruined the United States and ancient Rome. I want... to live in a dormitory, at least for a year, and talk with people who haven't been approved by Palace background checks. Kile says that sometimes students go to coffee shops on the weekends, and they play guitar for tips to buy their coffee."

Her parents sat there, smiling at her. "And would you want to play the guitar?" America asked.

"No. I'd want to listen." Addy said. She realized the expressions on their faces were almost patronizing. "What?"

Maxon shook his head, "I wish you could see yourself, Adrienne… the way your face lit up, just talking about your dream…"

"I didn't know it was my dream." Addy confessed. "It snuck up on me. I never _really_ thought about it, not seriously, but now—"

"Now it's actually possible." America nodded her understanding. She'd felt the same way once about being Maxon's princess.

Addy thought about it again. Thought about leaving her brothers and sisters, not being able to train with her father, missing her ascension year, and she couldn't stop herself from biting at her lip. "No. It's not possible. I need to do what's best for the country."

Maxon tilted his head to the side, a glimpse of frustration behind his smiling eyes. "How do you know that having a university educated Queen isn't what's best for the country?"

"Because if I want to be able to continue the work that you're doing, I need the people on my side. I need to host a Selection, ascend, and have children."

"Addy, baby, we don't care if you _never_ become queen." America insisted, although Maxon glanced at her like she'd gone rogue. "We gave you four siblings, and any of them could take over if you wanted to step down. We gave you _choices_. You don't have to get married when you're a teenager, you don't have to get married at all if you don't want to. And if you don't want children, that's fine. Surely Jamesy, Maisy, Lief, or Rosie will help you out. Statistically, _one_ of them will want to have children." America smiled. "And those children can be your heirs."

"I _do_ want to get married and I do want children. I want to be queen." Addy reassured her mother. "I just… for a minute, I thought I might like to do something else, too. But now that we're sitting here talking about it, I think I need to stick to the plan. Dad and I should start taking more meetings together and I should start preparing for a Selection so that I can be married by the time I ascend."

The bed was silent for a moment, and then Maxon held out his hand to her again. Like outside, Addy reluctantly accepted it, and this time he tugged her up so that she was tucked between her parents like a toddler on a stormy night. "Addy bird… you've so seldom ever asked us for anything." Maxon lamented. "A bedtime story here or there, a playdate with your friends who happened to live in England…"

"Don't forget Wilberforth." Addy smiled.

Wilberforth Fuzzy-muzzle Shadow Snuggles Orders-Woodwork-Leger-Schreave was the black labrador dog that Addy and the Palace kid gang had convinced their parents to allow them to co-own. Little Addy had led the crusade, and Maxon had been very proud when, upon receipt of the highly beloved puppy, Addy had invented an extremely democratic process by which to name the baby dog. One might have thought a princess to demand that she get her own way, but not Addy. Astra, Meri, Addy, and Kile each submitted their name choices into a bowl, and an impartial observer (Maxon) was asked to draw the order of the names. They repeated the process with the puppy's last names, too. Tonight Wilberforth, now 12 years old, was likely situated at the foot of Lief's or Rosie's bed, guarding one of them. He alternated which small child he protected each night as he saw fit.

"The point is," Maxon smiled, "You have given us so much. You've devoted yourself to your studies and to preparing to be Queen, you've been such a patient older sister and a wonderful role model, not just for your brothers and sisters, but for children all over the country. You have a heavy burden of responsibility, yet you bear it with grace and dignity just like your mother."

America smiled at that.

Maxon continued, "If you really want to go to university, then your mother and I owe it to you to try to find a way."

"Really?" Addy asked, allowing just the hint of a smile.

"We can't promise that it will work out." America added, before her own smile crept through. "But we can promise that we'll try our best. And I can add that I'm shockingly good at getting my way, when I set my mind to something."

Addy inhaled and exhaled deeply, melting into the pillows beneath her. She could smell her mother's shampoo and her father's soap, a total-sensory experience of happiness. "Thank you." she breathed.

"You're welcome, Birdy." Maxon kissed her forehead.

"I already asked Gavril to look into public opinion." she added.

America laughed, "Oh, did you?"

"I thought it might help me make up my mind." Addy confessed, sheepish.

"Very good, so you've given us a jumpstart." Maxon smiled. "You're thoughtful, as always."

"And, Dad, if it's too hard…" Addy sat up on her elbow, looking Maxon square in the eyes for this part. "If it's too much, don't worry about it. I know it's a lot to ask, especially of you."

"It's not a lot to ask, Addy, that's the thing." Maxon reassured her. "If we were a normal family, this would be nothing to ask at all."

"We're _not_ a normal family." Addy reminded him.

Maxon pretended to scoff as he hugged his daughter closely. "Next you'll be telling me that this is not a boat at sea, Captain."

Addy tried not to laugh, but her father was so sincere in his reference to their favorite kid game, 'Castaways', that the best she could do was roll her eyes in protest.


	5. Chapter 4

Uncle Eoan and Aunt Waverly always treated Addy as somehow _better_ than a princess whenever she came to stay with them. Since her very first trip to England as a seven month old baby, every time she visited she was showered with gifts, affection, and attention by her godfather and his queen, as something like the daughter they'd always wanted but never had.

This trip was no exception. After a hot bath, a warm meal, and a good, long nap to help reset Addy's internal clock to the English timezone and hopefully stave off any jet lag, Waverly swept Addy away for a whirlwind shopping trip through London. Ostensibly, the trip was to showcase and support local English designers. Any shop fortunate enough to receive patronage by the Queen of England and the Princess of Illéa was bound to be inundated with eager patrons by the next morning.

However, it was also just a good excuse for a little more fun than Addy was used to having. Being away from meetings and homework meant that she had time to enjoy the city a little, even if it was mostly from behind the bullet-proof glass of a motorcade.

She found several beautiful outfits, and one amazing cocktail dress in midnight blue for Lucas' party. When Waverly saw the way that it set off Addy's dark, smokey eyes and ember-red hair, there was no question that the dress would be a gift from the English royal family. Addy made a mental note to repay the generosity one day, maybe by taking her Aunt Waverly shopping in Angeles on her next visit to Illéa.

When they returned to the palace in the evening, Prince Andrew was waiting to receive them. Apparently, he'd canceled his dinner plans so that he could be reunited with Addy early.

"My favorite little princess, let me look at you." He smiled as he eyed her from hair to heels. He shook his head, crossing the distance to her, "You've completely grown up, haven't you? You're an absolute woman now, it's _startling_. It seems like last week, you were literally tripping over your own gawky legs at state dinners."

Addy rolled her eyes, "That was _once,_ and I was _not_ tripping over my legs. My hem had come loose."

"Indeed." Andrews eyes shone with mirth as he bowed to her and placed a kiss on her knuckles. She curtseyed, careful that they both lowered themselves the same distance. If one bowed or curtseyed lower than the other, it could be taken as a sign of their countries' weakness. Andrew laughed against her hand, unable to maintain the formality a moment longer, and he pulled her in for a warm, solid hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too. I'm so glad I was able to come."

"Have you seen Luke, yet?"

"Not yet."

"Just as well. He only got back from university this morning, he's been a complete bore. Slept the whole day away, as far as anyone knows. He sat his last semester examination yesterday, I expect he'll deserve some time to recover."

"I wanted to talk to him about university, actually. Do you know what he's studying? Do you know if he likes it?"

"International relations, and something to do with comparative government." Andrew answered her first question, folding an arm behind his back and offering her his other. "And, as far as I can tell, he likes it well enough. The classes, that is. I think he finds the university itself rather pompous."

"That's a dire accusation, considering he grew up with _you_." Addy teased.

"Enough of that." Andrew laughed. He began leading her away in the general direction, Addy recalled, of his suite. "That's about all I know about his experience at university, unfortunately. I haven't had the time to sit and talk with him, to hear about any of his triumphs or woes. I'm sure he'll be happy to answer all of your questions when you see him, though."

"That would be really nice, actually." Addy confessed.

"Is it just casual curiosity, then? Or…" Everything Andrew did seemed to be laser-focused and full of purpose. Even when he trailed off at the ends of sentences.

"For now, we'll call it casual curiosity." Addy concluded.

"Hmm." And this 'Hmm' pointedly did _not_ trail off, meaning he knew she wasn't being totally honest. Addy fully believed that, as King, Andrew would be known as 'the Great Communicator' if for no other reason than his ability to precisely punctuate his spoken sentences using inflection.

"Did you ever want to go to University?" Addy asked.

"Never." Andrew firmly replied.

"And if you had, would you have been able to? As heir?"

"Never." Andrew confirmed.

"Then we'll stick with 'casual curiosity', okay? I know it's a long shot, but I still like to think about it."

Andrew squared his shoulders and nodded, "That's more than fair enough, Princess." He let the subject drop.

They continued on in silence, discussing everything they'd missed since their last reunion nearly half a year before at Addy's sixteenth birthday party. Addy asked after Andrew's extended family including his mother's parents (known as 'Gran' and 'Grandad', even to the Illéan royal kids).

This talk led to Andrew scratching the hair behind his ear nervously and blushing, "I notice Princess Astra is not with you." he tried to be casual, as if he was merely keeping the conversation flowing by asking about Addy's extended family.

"No, she's not here. She's preparing for a really important audition."

"Is she?"

"If she's successful, she'll get to stay in Angeles for a while. Maybe forever, if the dance company offers her a permanent position."

"That would be nice…" Again, Andrew fell just short of casual.

Addy smiled, "Andy, she's _not_ avoiding you."

"Of course she is."

" _No_. She really was busy. She's training eight hours a day right now, trying to perfect her form on some really complicated choreography. Dragging her body to a different continent and throwing off her sleep and food schedule… it was bad timing, Andrew."

"I'm sure that 'bad timing' helped her avoid me, then."

"Stop it." Addy laughed. "She loves you. She just… doesn't _love_ you. Or, if she does in theory, it doesn't work well in practice."

Andrew pinched the bridge of his nose frustratedly, "I've ruined everything, haven't I?"

"Of course not." Addy said. "The two of you have been friends for practically your entire lives. That won't go away because of some… what would you call it?"

"Ridiculous mistake?"

"Torrid love affair?" Addy grinned.

Andrew cringed at the thought, "Ridiculous mistake." He said again, this time more certain. "I knew she'd only just ended things with Woodwork. What was I thinking?"

"As far as I can tell, whatever it was, you were _both_ thinking it. And, in the end, I think you'll both be glad that you tried it out. Otherwise, you'd never have realized that it wasn't right for you. You'd have had a little, lingering question in the backs of your minds for the rest of your lives."

"I really do miss her, Addy." Andrew confessed.

"I know you do. You'll be friends again one day, I'm sure you will. We have a _lot_ of time ahead of us, and she can't stay away for all of it."

"Can you imagine if she did?" He seemed panicked, "Can you imagine if I've ruined us _forever,_ and fifty years from now we still aren't on speaking terms?"

"Have you told her how you feel?" Addy asked, peering up at him. "That you miss her, that you're worried you've lost her friendship?"

"I can't."

"Are you joking? You're the Prince of England! Of course you can."

"No, I'd make everything worse—"

" _Andy_." Addy stopped and placed a hand on his chest. "It can't get worse. Think about it. The two of you aren't speaking, so at the moment, you have _nothing_. And that means that you have nothing to lose."

Andrew studied her expression for a moment, trying to find a way to be comfortable with the idea of reaching out to Astra after everything that had passed between them. Finally, he placed one of his hands over hers and squeezed, gently. "Thank you, Addy. I was so worried I'd lose you, too, when Astra and I decided that… we'd made a mistake."

"Don't get me wrong, I'd have chosen her in the divorce." Addy winked. "But since this was more of a spring fling, and you are honestly one of my best friends in the world, you and I are fine."

Andrew smiled and pulled her in for a quick hug. "Are you hungry?"

Addy winced, "Your mother stuffed me full of scones the moment I set foot on palace grounds."

"That is her nature." he agreed.

"But I'd never, _never_ turn my back on a good meat pie."

He laughed, "That's the way. Come along." They started walking again.

"So, tell me more about the plan that you and your father came up with to transition you into power." Addy said, thinking back to Andrew's last letter to her. "Is there anything in it that might be useful for Illéa?"

"Hard to say, our monarchies are fairly different." Andrew admitted. "But, there could be something in it for you. I know King Maxon is beloved, and you might like to prolong his reign to give him a bit more time. Such a setup would be ideal to test out the transition my father and I are going to attempt. A committee here, a public appearance there, and by the time my coronation comes, I've already had practice at all of the important things."

Addy nodded, "If Daddy felt he had more work to do, I'd be happy to give him the time to do it. But, unfortunately, I have a little public perception handicap."

"Ah." Andrew's brow crinkled. "Of course, I should have realized. If you keep your father close in the early years of your reign, people will assume he's doing your job for you because…er, that is to say—"

"Because I'm a girl. You can say it, it's not a bad word." Adrienne assured him. "If I were a man like you, they'd just assume that my father and I were working together to make the country stronger. But because I'm a girl…"

Andrew frowned, "Well, what a load of bollocks."

Addy nodded, a small smile on her face at his choice of sympathetic words. "My sentiments exactly."

* * *

Addy ate breakfast with her godfather and Aunt Waverly the next morning. They asked eagerly after her family, especially her parents.

"Dad's doing well. I think he'd love a visit from you, to be honest." Addy replied.

"So would I." Eoan smiled. There was no question that he and Waverly were aging obscenely well, but this was the first time Addy truly noticed the grey at his temples. She wondered if her father, several years younger than Eoan, would start greying soon, too. What would her father and godfather look like, completely grey? "I've heard that Illéa has had quite the golf course open up out east."

"You're probably thinking of Clermont." Addy replied, remembering the boost in tourism that the world class course had provided the local economy there. "Yes, the both of you should definitely play a round."

"Once Andrew takes over a few more responsibilities, Waverly and I won't have a problem in the world with splitting our time between Illéa and England." Eoan said boisterously.

"Retirement will suit you, then?" Addy asked. "You won't miss being in charge?"

"Not a bit of it." Eoan promised. "Besides, Andrew plans to keep us close. I'll have all of the prestige of a King, but none of the responsibility. I do believe Waverly and I will spend our first year traveling the world, won't we, my love?"

"That's what we've always talked about." Waverly agreed. "Though, being a retired monarch is a brilliant opportunity for public works, as well. We'll get a lot more time with our charities. I believe your mother and father will find that aspect of retirement utterly enlivening."

"So do I. In fact, part of me can't wait to take over the day-to-day minutia of running the country so that my parents can focus on larger, grander tasks."

"But, of course, they'll be expecting you to be married by the time you have your coronation, won't they, darling?" Waverly asked. "That's how it's done in Illéa, isn't it?"

"Yes, usually."

Eoan shook his head, "You're just so young."

"Well, I have a little bit of time left."

"Not enough. Wasn't it just yesterday that we got the communiqué announcing her birth?"

"Yesterday or the day before." Waverly winked at her husband and they shared a smile.

Addy was used to breaking up flirtatious glances between the adults in her life, having lived with Maxon and America for sixteen years. She pressed on, "In any case, the two of you weren't much older than I am now when you were married. For that matter, neither were my parents. It's not as though I'll be a child bride if I wed when I'm nineteen, like my father did." Addy pointed out, sipping her tea to test the temperature. The English alway served it scalding hot, she didn't know how they could stand to drink it so quickly.

"You make a fair point." Eoan confessed. "And it's obvious that you'll be more than capable, when the time comes for you to wear the crown. Forgive us our nostalgia, little bird."

Addy smiled at her godfather's use of her nickname. Someday soon most of the world would know her as the Queen of Illéa, and her legacy would be determined by her very public successes and failures. It was nice to know that, no matter what, there would always be a precious few people who loved her unconditionally, and even through her worst mistakes, they would call her 'little bird'.

* * *

Addy was given free reign of the palace for the rest of the morning, and she contented herself with wandering the familiar halls and admiring hundreds and hundreds of years worth of art. Most of this palace was so old, and housed such important and beautiful historical artifacts, that it was considered an actual museum.

England had done a phenomenal job of preserving important treasures during the Third World War. As Addy understood the history, though England used to be a part of a united conglomerate of countries, and though there was strife during the Disbandment, there was never an invasion from a hostile faction, like how China or Russia had invaded the United States and the American State of China. No one ever came in and tried to destroy England's history, art, or culture by burning buildings, paintings, and books. Addy envied them that.

She found her way into one of several libraries and lost all track of time reading one of the history books inside, a biography of a long-dead Japanese queen in the time before New Asia. Only her stomach reminded her that it was lunch time, and more importantly, time for her to begin readying for the Prince's birthday celebration. Otherwise, she might have spent the rest of the day right there, in that enormous armchair, lost in a world that no longer existed.

Bridget had spent her morning wandering the streets of London. She had a small amount of fame in Illéa as the Princess' maid, but in England she was anonymous, and she didn't even need to take security with her as she meandered through shops and restaurants, enjoying the cool, sunny day.

As Adrienne soaked in a rather oily bath to prepare her skin for the evening, she heard all about her maid's wandering adventures. Addy wondered what it would be like to walk into a crowded market and pass the time waiting in line for service by listening to the various conversations of strangers she'd never met and would never see again.

When Addy was wrapped in a fluffy, fuzzy robe, her dried hair in giant hot rollers, there came a knock at the door.

Bridget hurried over to answer and then eagerly stepped aside so that Addy could see the mystery visitor.

"Paige?" Addy ran to embrace her beloved former nanny, face split in a huge smile. "What are you doing here?"

Paige was grinning from ear to ear and she pressed a careful kiss on Addy's clean forehead, "I heard a rumor that you were in town! And you know it's not as though Pip and I were going to miss Luke's birthday! I thought it might be alright if I came and helped you get ready, put some of my maid training to good use for old time's sake."

Addy squeezed her again, and then pulled back to get a better look at her. She wasn't as tan as she had been when she was living in Angeles, but she was nonetheless glowing.

Glittering, even. "Wait a minute… is that a _ring_?" Addy asked, eyeing Paige's left hand.

Paige shrugged with a bashful smile, "Yes, it is."

"It's on a very important finger."

"I know it is."

Addy laughed, pressing her hands to her mouth as she processed. "For some reason, I always thought you weren't interested in marriage."

"Please sit down, don't let me interrupt you." Paige urged, leading the way to the chair before the vanity, motioning for Addy to comply. "I'll tell you the story while I fix your nails… if that's alright?" She checked with Bridget.

"Of course!" Bridget beamed. She hurried over to her bag of tricks and pulled out a tiny, iridescent bottle, offering it to Paige. "We're going with this champagne gold tonight."

"Beautiful." Paige smiled.

Addy knew from conversations overheard between her mother, Aunt Marlee, Aunt Mary, Aunt Lucy, and Aunt Kenna, that _everyone_ had had their suspicions about Miss Paige's romantic inclinations for years. Or at least, at social gatherings she'd seemed to flirt indiscriminately, if discreetly. Still, it had been something of a surprise for everyone when, five years ago, Paige had requested leave of the Palace, explaining through nervous tears that she was planning to finally move to England to be with her love. It was do or die for their relationship, they simply couldn't keep up the long distance any longer.

It was even more of a surprise when Paige had named the love of her life as Lady Piper Windemere, Andrew and Lucas' nanny and Queen Waverly's best friend.

Paige hadn't realized that America was pregnant with Rosie at the time of this proclamation or she might have tried to delay leaving to help with the new baby, but once Paige's predicament was made clear to her, America had insisted that it didn't matter anyway. Paige was a beloved friend, and deserved a real chance at love. "After everything she's done for us, how could we do anything but wish her well? Nothing should stand in the way of her happiness." America had said at the time.

Paige made it a point to visit Angeles as often as possible, and was especially doting on the Schreave children. She'd helped raise most of them, after all.

"So there we were," Paige said, filing one of Addy's nails smooth. They sat on the bed across from each other like gossiping sisters, though Paige was much closer to Addy's mother's age. "At the hospital, waiting for Pip's brother to make it out of surgery. He was alright, thank goodness, but it really got us thinking… Phillip's wife made major medical decisions for him, going into that surgery, and was allowed to stay with him in recovery at all hours. And, you know, if Pip was in an accident like that, her family would be happy to do whatever I decided, as far as medical decisions go, because they know what we mean to each other. But what if it was me? I don't have any legal next of kin. No one would be around to make decisions for me. Plus, it would be nice to have the right to visit each other in the hospital, you know?"

"Yeah." Addy nodded, not able to imagine the horror of having a loved one in the hospital and not being able to visit them.

"So we started talking about marriage, just for the legal rights. And then, the more we talked about it, the more we realized how nice it would actually be. We could have a little ceremony, put on some pretty dresses, and splurge on a matching set of rings. It's just _nice_. Plus, not that it matters too much, but it will be good to have words like 'wife' to describe each other to strangers, words that they'll instantly understand. We won't have to explain that we're committed to each other, and never going to separate, and we're not very fond of the word 'girlfriend' just because it seems inadequate to express how strongly we feel about each other… now, it's going to be easy. This is Piper. She's my wife." Paige grinned.

"I'm so happy for you." Addy breathed softly. Paige's happiness was evident on her face, a sunbeam of joy shining right onto Addy's skin. She soaked it up. "This is the most incredible news, Paige. Did you tell Mom? She hasn't said anything about it—"

"No, no, I haven't written to her about it yet. We're planning to have the wedding ceremony in June, and as much as I would love for your parents to be there… they saved my life, and your mother has been one of my closest friends ever since… if they showed up, it would be an _enormous_ spectacle. Piper and I have lived our lives serving royalty and surrounded by spectacle. We want a day that's just for _us_. A quiet, peaceful day. Not even Waverly is coming, and she and Pip have been best friends since they were in diapers. I'm going to write your mother afterward and explain it all to her. Piper and I plan to celebrate with you royal types another time." she winked.

"Mom will understand perfectly." Addy grinned.

"I know she will." Paige smiled. "And then, there's the honeymoon to consider…"

"You'll visit?" Addy asked, eagerly.

"Of course! Maybe we'll plan it for your birthday? It's a big one. _Seventeen_."

Addy nodded a little ruefully, "They're all big ones from now until I take the crown."

Paige smiled, "You're going to be great. I can't wait to see you as Queen of Illéa."

"Paige?" Addy said, thoughtfully. Part of Paige's story was gnawing at her. "Why didn't Piper come to you? When it was time to make the decision, to choose each other and live together, why didn't she go to Illéa? Andy and Luke didn't need a nanny by that time, and Lief and Maisy still needed a lot of help."

Paige's tone was gentle, like when Addy had been a little girl, "I _wanted_ to go. I wanted to stay, too, but I also really wanted to go."

"Wow." Addy couldn't imagine the tension, having such strong but opposite feelings.

"Yep." Paige nodded. "It is totally possible to want two completely different things very badly. It hurts a lot until you make your choice. I've missed you Schreaves like crazy, please don't misunderstand—"

"I know." Addy smiled, reassuringly.

"But Angeles held some hard memories for me from my childhood. I got a totally clean start, moving to England. Not to mention, I didn't want to take Pip away from her family, or her best friend. And, if I'm being totally honesty, England just seemed more hospitable to couples like Pip and me."

"What? Why?" Addy blinked, surprised. "You're allowed to get married and live together in Illéa, aren't you?"

"Of course." Paige nodded. "Now that the castes are gone, and there doesn't have to be a husband to determine which caste a couple gets placed in after marriage, there doesn't have to be a husband in a marriage at all. Or the marriage could be only husbands, for that matter. Plus, your mother did a big, good thing when she amended the Laws of Inheritance."

"She did?"

"Yes! She made it so that women and men were equal in the eyes of the law. Women could inherit title and property, no husband necessary." Paige touched Addy's cheek, smiling. Addy knew that the law had been changed so that she'd be Queen one day, but she also knew that her mother had had bigger things in mind with the phrasing of the amendment, knowing the implications it would have throughout the rest of Illéan law. "So, yes, Piper and I could have lived in Illéa, but those changes that your parents have made are still so new. We honestly felt more welcome in England, where this has been done for years and years."

"I'm so sorry." Addy said, shaking her head. "I wish you had felt welcome in Illéa, too."

"It's going to be alright." Paige reassured her. "In Illéa, I mean. It's just a matter of time."

"Can I help?" Addy asked, almost feeling silly for asking. "I hate to think that there's an entire group of my citizens who aren't being properly supported."

"Of course you can help!" Paige laughed, "You're the most powerful teenager in Illéa. You've got the future of the whole country in your hands." Paige cupped those hands, nails half finished, and smiled. "There are so many ways for you to show your support. To let your people know that you stand with them. Anytime you find a chance to use your enormous platform to help those people who were marginalized by your grandfather's politics, whoever they may be, you take it. Ask them what they need, and then listen to what they say. That will be a great start, Bird."

"Paige… how did you know that Lady Piper was _the one_? Worth crossing oceans for?" Addy asked, tucking her legs to the side as Paige went back to preparing Addy's nails.

Paige smiled serenely, "It wasn't instant, not really. I mean, there was instant attraction, obviously, have you seen that woman?" she laughed, "But the love came later, through a hundred little moments. Microscopic moments, like the way she tucks her hair behind her ear when she's nervous, or how gentle she was with you when you were a baby. Her patience, her sweetness, the crinkle of her nose when she giggles, the way she cries when she reads a sad story in the newspaper…" Paige shook her head, and returned her attention to Addy's wide eyes. "She was the one I couldn't see my life without. I'd have survived without her, I'm sure, I just couldn't imagine what such a survival would even look like. I'd never felt that way about anyone else, man or woman. That's how I knew."

Addy nodded, forgetting herself and biting at her lip. "I think it will have to be different for me."

"Why do you say that, little princess?"

"Because even though all those little things are nice for you, and I'm sure they lead to a rich and full life together, the most important thing for me is that I put the right person in the blank space next to the title of Prince consort. I have to start there, the job is just too important. After that I can work my way backward to… I don't know, hair-tucking and crying over newspapers." Addy confessed. "There's a long list of criteria to consider before love factors into the plan."

Paige smiled mysteriously, like she knew something Addy couldn't yet fathom, "Maybe someone will come along who will change your careful plan? Make it better? Or maybe not, maybe it'll be much simpler than that. Maybe you'll just see their name in that empty space and suddenly, no other name will belong there but his." Then she paused and drew her eyebrows together, "His?" she double-checked.

"His." Addy nodded earnestly, "I'm pretty sure."

Paige nodded and laughed, "You'd know. We'll go with 'his' for now."

* * *

The weather was perfect for an evening party on the sprawling back lawn of the English palace. The moon was full and glowing brightly, the navy sky strewn with stars as if to accent Addy's dress. Her smoldering red hair fell down her back in flawless waves as she carefully descended onto the lawn, allowing herself to be properly announced to the guests already milling about. She posed for a quick photograph for the official royal photographer (the only camera in attendance, as the paparazzi were strictly banned from the party), and then made her way out toward the table stacked high with gifts.

In her hands she carried a small, simple rectangle-shaped package wrapped in delicate brown paper, and tied up with rough twine. It was a stark contrast to the lavish and outrageously extravagant gifts on display next to the fountain of champagne. Addy wondered if she should have opted for something less sentimental, something flashier and more eye popping like the rest of the offerings.

"Princess Adrienne! I knew I heard your name!" Addy looked over and burst into a sunrise of a smile at the sight of Lucas not-so-politely excusing himself from a group of young aristocrats to greet her.

He pressed a kiss to her cheek and released her, grinning from ear to ear, "You look _gorgeous,_ Addy, goodness gracious!"

Addy couldn't bite back a goofy smile as she tried to disguise her blush by letting her red hair fall across her face.

It was hard remember when exactly she'd started blushing at Lucas' plethora of compliments, which he'd been offering since the very first time they'd ever seen each other. According to their mothers, toddler Lucas had been exorbitant in his compliments of baby Addy's red tufts of hair at her christening. It was just in his nature to try to make everyone around him feel good, Addy was sure he did it without even thinking about it.

"I'm glad I found you." Addy cleared her throat and forced herself to meet his shining eyes, "I was hoping to give this to you in person." Addy showed him the package in her hands. "It's sort of fragile, I wouldn't want anything to happen to it on the gift table—"

"Oh, come along then." Lucas said, offering her his arm. "I've been dying for an excuse to take a little break from this crowd."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Let's steal a moment to ourselves, shall we?"

Addy nodded, and let Lucas lead her out across the lawn, beyond the edge of the well-lit party area, to a beautiful marble fountain they'd once turned into their own private swimming pool, as kids. They sat on the edge of the fountain in companionable silence for a moment, listening to the distant music and echo of jubilant voices from across the way. "Happy birthday." Addy finally said, smiling.

"Thank you." Lucas laughed.

"Glad to be nineteen?"

"Very, yes." he said, enthusiastically.

"Better than being eighteen?"

"Much. You couldn't possibly understand." He joked.

"Right." Addy laughed. "I'm… well, I guess I'm sorry you can't have the party you'd like to have." Lucas had always been the shy, nervous brother of the two princes of England. Big, boisterous parties like this didn't really suit him at all. Addy understood the feeling perfectly.

"It's alright." Lucas assured her. "It's only once a year. And I figure I'll be leaving the palace one of these days. Once my brother is king, it won't matter how I celebrate my birthday. Everyone will start celebrating his kids instead."

"I'm jealous." Addy smiled. "I'd love a quiet birthday one of these years."

"I don't suppose that's in the cards for you, is it?" Lucas reflected.

"Not really. I'm Illéa's first female heir. People will go on." she smiled sardonically.

Lucas casually splashed a hand through the water behind them, "I'm sorry I haven't been 'round to see you since you've been here at the palace."

"That's alright, I've been well entertained. You're just completely exhausted from school?"

Lucas shrugged, "Something like that."

His tone of voice gave her pause. "Is there a _problem_ with school?"

"I attend an incredibly pompous institution, dear princess."

"What? Pompous? The English? _Never_!" Addy pretended to be incredulous and earned a withering look in reply. She laughed.

"I feel as if I'm suffocating. Father insists that I'm at the right school, just because all of the other students attending are the children of his wealthy, aristocratic friends. But it's a terrible fit for me. Everywhere I turn there's royal privilege being forced down my throat. How am I supposed to learn when my professors keep changing my incorrect answers on exams or rewriting portions of my essays to improve my marks?"

"Your father won't let you transfer somewhere else?"

"Apparently, the logistics of securing another school would be a nightmare, particularly given that I've only two years left on my degree. The fact that some of the more famous aristocratic students at my school already had their own security in place when I enrolled made the campus far more attractive to my father and His Majesty's Secret Service. "

"Oh." Addy frowned. "I'm so sorry, Lucas, I know how much you were looking forward to this."

"I'm still contemplating another solution. I keep thinking there must be something that will satisfy my father's desire for prestige and security, but get me away from the sycophants."

"If there is, I know you'll think of it." Addy said, tapping his hand with hers. "You're the smartest person I know."

An extremely awkward pause followed this proclamation, or maybe it only felt that way to Addy. She used to say things like that to Lucas all the time as kids, and it never led to heavy pauses like this one. She pressed on, trying to keep things light, "You know, my Mom and Dad are trying to work out a way for me to attend university in the fall."

"Really?" He was surprised, but his eyes were lit up with excitement on her behalf. "Aren't you still too young?"

"Not by much, and I qualified on my entrance exams."

"Wow, Addy! Congratulations, that's wonderful. I always knew you were brilliant." Lucas had her blushing again.

"Hopefully… I mean, if we get it worked out… that's a big 'if', you know, there's a lot to negotiate, but if I get to go… maybe it won't be as bad as your experience?"

"Oh, Addy, no." Lucas was remorseful, "My experience hasn't been _bad_ , I'm just letting off steam. I'm sure it could have been better, but I certainly don't regret going. It's much better than nothing."

Addy nodded, "Good. I'm glad to hear that. Um… I'll make sure to write you when I find out if I'm going. I could use some first year advice."

Lucas laughed, "Bring plastic containers to every meal."

"What?" Addy couldn't make sense of his words.

Lucas laughed again, "The dining halls aren't exactly the culinary experience of palace food."

"Oh."

"Still, they sell plastic food containers at most grocery stores, at least they do here in England. Bring them to the dining halls and pack away extra food so you won't be hungry during midnight study sessions."

"Ah." Addy pretended to have a good grasp on what he was telling her. Honestly, it was hard to imagine any of it. Plastic containers? How was she supposed to pack away food without being egregiously rude?

"Never mind, Princess." he smiled fondly at her obliviousness, "You'll be great. I really hope you get to go, I think you'll love it."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I've seen the way you swoon over libraries. No matter which university you choose, it'll be bound to have the most amazing academic library you'll have ever seen, and you'll be able to go there as often as you please. Any time of night."

Addy smiled, "It's almost worth all the trouble of leaving the Palace, just for that."

"It really is." he agreed, thinking about his own experiences leaving his palace.

Addy tapped her fingers across the package nervously, still experiencing a heavy dose of second thoughts about her choice of gift, and then slid it onto his lap. "For you. I hope you don't think it's dumb. Happy Birthday, Luke."

"I doubt I could think it's dumb." he smiled reassuringly. He began pulling at the twine, "You know, you didn't have to get me anything. I'm just glad you're here. You're one of the only people I really wanted at this party."

"Well, you owe me now. You've got to come to my birthday in December, and you've got to bring me something equally ridiculous."

"Deal." he laughed, picking delicately at the brown paper. "You wrapped this yourself?"

"Did I do alright?"

"Of course! I just… I like that you didn't have Bridget do it, or something. I like that it was you." He explained. "It's more personal this way."

The paper fell away. By the light of the moon, it took him a moment longer than it ordinarily might have to discern the title of the book he held in his lap. His voice was stunned as he dared to speak, " _The Once and Future King?_ Addy, where did this come from?" he was breathless. She'd taken his breath away, and somehow that knowledge took her own breath away.

"My father's library."

"Addy, how is this possible? You can't give me this! This copy is _prewar_."

"I know. But it's gone back into production in our country, so the Palace can get another copy. The author was English, it belongs with you. Honestly."

Lucas swore, gazing at his own hands like he didn't trust them to hold something so precious. "Why, Addy? This has been safe on the shelves in your palace since the time of Gregory Illéa!"

"Because… it's one of my favorites." she shrugged.

"Mine, too, but—"

"I know you have a copy here, but it's one of the cheap, mass market kind. You need a nice one, a keepsake one."

"I can't accept this."

"I want you to." Addy insisted. "It always reminded me of you."

"Me?" Lucas was taken aback. "Not Andrew?" he dared to ask.

Addy didn't know how to explain it, "Not Andrew."

Lucas shook his head, smiling against his better judgement at the tome in his hands.

"It's not a first edition." Addy went on. "It's probably a hundred years newer than that…"

"But it's prewar, Addy, it's so rare… I can't believe this." He sighed, happily. "You know, almost every Arthurian legend we have today was based off of this work. Everything we think of today when we think of Camelot and Merlyn and Arthur and Guinevere, it came from this."

"I know." Addy reminded him quietly, not wanting to disturb his obvious reverie.

"It's _the_ tale of justice and hope and chivalry…" he grinned widely.

Addy shook her head, getting lost in his expression, in the sparkle of his blue eyes, in the fall of his sandy blonde curls, "That's what I love most about you, Luke…" she said, shaking her head.

The admiration in her tone stopped him short, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, _The Once and Future King_ isn't a story about 'justice and hope and chivalry'. It's a tragedy. It's about the _death_ of justice and hope and chivalry. All of Arthur's plans fall to ruin." Addy gulped and shrugged her shoulders, "Or, at least, that's what I see when I read that book. But you see something else… somehow you find hope in the ashes of Camelot. I like that."

Lucas just looked at her like he was astonished she was real. Astonished she was there. Astonished she was blinking back at him with those tempestuous grey eyes.

"What?" Addy asked nervously as he continued to openly stare. It wasn't possible that she'd just made a fool of herself, was it? She knew what she was talking about when it came to Lucas, and when it came to that book. Maybe he'd studied it at University and learned something that she didn't yet know? Oh no, was this another 'revive the Illéan unicorns' situation?

"Nothing." Lucas shook his head. "I just… nothing." He opened and closed his mouth several more times before he managed, "I think I miss you."

Addy blinked. "You miss me?" she said, incredulous. "I'm sitting right here."

"I know that!" Lucas defended, "I know you're sitting right beside me, but I don't know how else to explain… I haven't exactly felt this before, it's like my heart is… just _aching_ with the loss of you—" He stopped himself from finishing his thought, stunned.

"Luke, _no._ " Addy's eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. It wasn't that she was _gone_ from him, it was that she would never _be_ with him. At least, not in the way his dumb heart was trying to trick him into thinking that he wanted. "Come on! You're _not_ allowed to have a crush on me."

"I don't!" he looked so adorably confused, like he'd worked really hard on a math problem and come to the most outrageously, embarrassingly wrong solution.

"Good, because we're _not_ doing what Astra and Andrew did."

"I agree." He insisted, "Our friendship means everything to me."

"Me, too."

They sat there for a long moment, nodding at the importance of their statements and their mutual friendship before Lucas cracked, "But Addy—"

" _No_ , Luke! I'm not just going to go around _liking_ whichever boy starts making eyes at me by the light of the moon." Addy gestured to the celestial body like it was going to join her side of the argument.

"I'm not asking you to like every boy you meet between dusk and dawn," Lucas was offended, "But that's not me, is it? I'm _not_ every boy, and you're not every girl, Addy."

"It doesn't matter what you are, Luke, I'm going to be the Queen."

Lucas leaned back, trying not to be wounded, "Oh. So, because I'm not the future King—"

"Lucas, that's not what I meant." Addy insisted.

"Isn't it?"

"Of course not! It's just that I can't go around kissing any boy who catches my interest."

"Who said anything about kissing?" Lucas challenged, and Addy froze, caught.

"Ah… n-no one, I was just making a point—"

Lucas sighed and ran a hand frustratedly through his hair while Addy tried not to let her stomach flip at the familiar gesture, "I like the person you see when you look at me, Adrienne. I'm not just 'the other prince' to you, I'm _Lucas_. When you look at me, you really, truly see me, and that's rare."

"That will never change." Addy reminded him, gently.

Lucas stared down at the book in his lap and then hugged it to his chest. "No. I'll always be more than the spare prince to you, and you'll always be more than the Illéan heir to me."

"Exactly." Addy smiled sweetly.

But like with _The Once and Future King_ , Addy couldn't help but think that they'd both just heard the same words, and gotten completely different meanings from them.

Lucas stood and offered her a hand up, "I'm going to take this back to my rooms myself. I want to make sure it stays safe. Thank you again, Addy. Honestly."

"I'm glad you like it, Luke." she accepted his hand, glad that their conversation was returning to a friendly tone, even if it was a little forced. They slipped back into the crowded party and Lucas disappeared into the palace for a few minutes while Addy sipped a tiny flute of champagne and wished more than ever that Astra had gotten brave and bitten the bullet, and just come to England with her. She could use a little help making sense of what, exactly, had just happened.


	6. Chapter 5

When Addy first arrived back home at Illéa Palace, both of her parents were standing in the entryway to greet her. It was touching that they'd taken the time out of their busy days to let her know that she'd been missed, but Addy couldn't stop a giggle when she got close enough to hear her parents' conversation.

America was quietly seething, "I'm going to get some people _fired_ from their jobs."

"Ah, no darling, you can't." Maxon was nervous, keeping his eyes on his wife as he opened his arms wide to his daughter. "We missed you, Birdy." He told her as he hugged her closely.

America narrowed her eyes, "They're not using the freedom of our press to propagate the patriarchy so blatantly. I'm getting people _fired_ , Maxon."

"My love," Maxon sighed as he released Addy. Addy turned to her mother and received a warm hug, even in the middle of her parents' disagreement, "You are the Queen of Illéa, it is a vast overreach for you to order that a reporter be fired."

"I don't just want the reporter, I want the editor and everyone else who saw the headlines and agreed to print them—"

"My love, the simple fact is, we have no control over what people say about us."

"Half the country is going to read that—"

"Love!" Maxon finally snapped. "I can't fix sexism for you, and you can't fix it for the rest of the country. Commanding that a reporter be fired will do nothing but cost you, and to be entirely honest, those small-minded misogynists aren't worth your time. You have more than enough to be getting on with as it is, don't you?"

America pouted, actually _pouted_ , and Maxon nodded, pressing a quick kiss to her puckered lips. "I've got to run. Adrienne, I want to hear all about your trip over dinner, alright?"

"Alright." Addy lied. She would _not_ be mentioning the unbelievable weirdness that had occurred between Lucas and her, but she'd tell him about the shopping and the birthday cake, at least.

America was still standing there, unwilling to accept that Maxon had just won the dispute. Addy laced fingers with her mother and tugged her up toward the third floor. "What happened, Momma?"

America smiled at Addy's usage of the nickname that Rosie had invented for moments that were too serious for 'Mommy', but not serious enough for 'Mom' or 'Mother'. She sighed heavily and leant her head on Addy's shoulder as they walked, "Your father and I attended a charity fundraiser gala for the adult literacy program while you were away."

"Good."

"We thought so. We dressed up and made a date night of it, and in the process we helped raise a lot of money for an excellent cause."

"You should be proud." Addy said, soothingly, but she couldn't stifle a giggle at her mother's obvious self-pity.

"And do you know what they wrote in the papers this morning?" America looked up and over at her daughter.

"What?" Addy played along, as if she was in suspense.

"That your father raised a lot of money for a very good cause!"

"No! Scandalous!" Addy laughed.

"Do you know what else they wrote?"

"Could it possibly get worse?" Addy teased.

America dramatically collapsed her head on Addy's shoulder again, "That I wore a beautiful gown."

"Honestly, Mother, I don't know how you stand the shame." Addy teased. They both giggled.

"I know they were probably trying to be nice, and at least they've stopped saying that I'm 'beautiful for a mother of five', I mean what on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"Go on." Addy encouraged her mother not to get bogged down in that particular quagmire.

"But your father wore a dashing tuxedo. And I helped raise that money, too. So why did _he_ get the headline about important work, and _I_ get the headline about the pretty dress?"

"If you'd made Dad wear the dress, I guarantee you the headlines would have been different." Addy suggested, and her mother wrinkled her nose, poking just the tip of her tongue out at her teasing daughter, then hurriedly schooling her features and looking around to make sure that no one had noticed her quick slip of decorum.

On impulse, Addy leaned up and kissed her mother's cheek. She loved it when America was silly, it was a private side of her mother's true personality that she saved exclusively for her family and friends.

"I'm sorry you don't get equal credit for the work you and Dad do together." Addy said, squeezing her mom's hand. "It's not fair."

"It's not. You know, maybe I'm just a little ahead of my time with this. I'm sure your Grandmother Amberly would have considered it one of her most important jobs to look beautiful next to your Grandfather. To show him in a good light, so to speak." America mulled it over as they continued toward Addy's bedroom. "And, of course, it's possible that things will be different with you, given that your future husband won't have the title of 'King'. Maybe they'll write about his suits and ties, and give _you_ all the credit for the hard work." America pouted again, but her anger was gone. Now all that was left were her hurt feelings.

Addy smiled, "Mom, didn't you tell me that we deserve to live in the world we're trying to create, too? That it's noble to want better for our daughters, but we must also want better for ourselves?"

America smiled proudly, "So you were listening?"

"I was. You're a very smart woman, I'd be a fool not to." Addy pretended to be buttering her mother up, but her words were completely true. America nodded, and Addy continued, "Did _anybody_ write about your contribution?"

"Yes." America nodded wistfully. "Miss Elise's husband published a headline about 'The King and Queen's efforts'. A joint unit, _King and Queen_."

"I'll tell you what," Addy said, nodding to Officer Brookwood as he opened the door to her bedroom and then bowed as his Queen and Princess passed by, "I'm going to call the royal photographer to join me at an impromptu tea party with Miss Marlee, Miss Silvia, and whoever else in the Palace is amenable to being photographed."

"What does that have to do with anything, Bird?" America asked, taking a seat on Addy's bed.

"At our tea party we'll _all_ be reading Mr. Lemex's paper, the good headline proudly on display, and we'll be using the other headline as a coaster for tea cakes, that's all." Addy shrugged innocently. "A day in the life of the Palace, that's what we keep the royal photographer around for, isn't it? It wouldn't be my fault if all of the daily magazines chose to publish that fresh Palace picture tomorrow instead of recycled images of your beautiful but distracting gown, now would it?"

America laughed, cool blue eyes dancing with mirth. "Why, Princess Adrienne Emlyn Schreave, you've inherited some of my mischievous nature after all."

Addy pointed jokingly between the loose waves of red that framed both of their faces, "Honestly, Mom, I think it's the hair."

* * *

At the end of that week, Addy's father caught her at work in her office long after she was supposed to have headed off to get ready for dinner.

"Bird?" He knocked on her doorframe as he entered. "We're having dinner in the dining room tonight, remember? Uncle Gerad's eating with us."

"I remember. I just want to get this finished so I can submit it tonight." Addy said, still pouring over the paperwork."

Maxon walked in, arms behind his back, and peered over her shoulder at the pages. "What's that form for, Love?"

It was a formal request to alter the language on an official government document, as he very well knew. What he was asking was which document she wanted altered, and why.

"Did you know that marriage certificates in Illéa come with 'Mr.' and 'Miss' already typed in? It's an enormous hassle, lots of unnecessary paperwork and fees to have the genders altered if the couple getting married don't happen to be a 'Mr.' and 'Miss' pair."

"I see." Maxon rested a hand on her desk and squinted to read the specifics of her formal request. He didn't have his reading glasses with him. "I've honestly never thought of what a headache that might be."

"You didn't have to, you fell in love with Mom. I know that the two of you had a lot of obstacles to navigate before you finally got married. I mean, I don't know the whole story, but I've seen enough of the video."

"Indeed." Maxon grinned down at her.

"But one of those obstacles wasn't 'that she is a woman'. That was actually the easy part. That should be the easy part for everyone, there's no reason this document needs to be pre-printed with 'Mr.' and 'Miss' boxes. It takes all of one second for people to write that prefix in for themselves."

"You're absolutely right. What made you think of this, darling?" Maxon asked, straightening up and crossing his arms.

"Oh," Addy stretched her back, ignoring the cracks of protest from having hunched over her desk for too many hours that day. "Miss Paige visited me while I was in England."

"Did she? How is she doing?"

"She's great! She and Lady Piper are, um, doing really well." Addy stopped herself before giving away Paige's secret plans to wed Lady Piper in a private little ceremony, "She just got me thinking, that's all."

"I see." Maxon kissed her hair. "And you're dead set on filing this paperwork tonight, are you?"

"It's been almost a hundred years since Illéa's founding. Hasn't it been long enough?" Addy reasoned with a shrug. She knew it was only a small step towards making Illéa a more inclusive place, but she wanted to get started as soon as possible.

Maxon nodded, "It certainly has been long enough. I'm proud of you, Bird."

"Thanks."

"Would you like some help?"

Addy took a moment to read her father's face, then squared her shoulders and offered him a confidant smile, "I can do it, Daddy."

Maxon beamed proudly and gave her shoulder a little squeeze, "I know."

Addy nodded and returned her attention to the onerously tedious paperwork, "I won't miss all of dinner, I promise. Ten more minutes?"

"Good girl." Maxon nodded his agreement, "I'll explain to your mother why you're running late."

"Thanks, Dad."

Maxon kissed her hair, careful not to ruin the delicate braid it was knotted in. He had experience with hair kisses deliberately placed to preserve hairstyles, after all of his years married to the Queen. When he closed the door to her office behind him, it was softly, with a little click so that it wouldn't disturb Addy's concentration.

Addy took a deep breath and scanned the document again. Now that she'd refused her father's help, now that she'd assured him that she could do this application on her own, and he'd expressed such easy faith in her, she needed to make sure everything was perfect.

Sometimes it was hard to have Maxon Schreave for a father. He always had so much confidence in her, and Addy had literal nightmares about the day when she might finally let him down.

* * *

On Monday, Adrienne's mathematics lesson was interrupted by a note from her mother and father. They were in a meeting, and they wanted her to join them immediately. Addy wasn't exactly sorry to be done with calculus for the day. She took a moment to straighten up her appearance so that she looked like a proper heir, and then she joined her parents in Meeting Room B.

Mr. Stavros was there, which was an enormous surprise. He'd retired several years ago, but he remained employed by King Maxon as a _special adviser_. This meant he didn't have to show up to work very often, only when Maxon needed extra advice about something special. Additionally, Stavros' replacement, Mr. Evander, was seated in the room. Uncle Aspen was there, looking dapper in his full uniform. Gavril was there, and so was Aunt Silvia and Aunt Marlee.

"Princess." Mr. Stavros bowed, and the other non-royals in the room stood up and greeted her similarly.

"Hello, Mr. Stavros, what a lovely surprise."

"Thank you for joining us, Adrienne." America smiled, gesturing to the empty seat next to Maxon.

Addy sat down and flipped open the leather folder with the seal of Illéa stamped into it, expecting to find an agenda inside with information as to what this meeting was about.

Instead, she found a letter from Kings University of Angeles.

Addy blinked. "What…" but the words died in her mouth as she read, then re-read, then read again the first sentence on the page.

 _Princess Adrienne Emlyn Schreave,  
_ _We are pleased to inform you that we have accepted your application for enrollment in our International Relations program for the fall semester._

Addy looked up at the adults gathered around the table, smiling expectantly at her. "Wait… is this real?" She couldn't wrap her head around it.

"Of course it's real." Maxon wheezed a laugh, "What a horrible joke it would be were it not."

"I'm going?" Addy lost control of her volume, clamped a hand over her mouth, and corrected her posture as if in apology, glancing at Aunt Silvia for a reprimand, but instead finding the older woman dabbing at the corner of her eye with a tissue, smiling.

"You have been accepted," Maxon hedged, "But there will be stipulations. We've got to balance this with your responsibilities, Adrienne, and you might decide you'd be better off staying put and continuing with your tutor instead."

"Daddy," Addy breathed, shaking her head, "The International Relations department at Kings University is _world renowned_."

"That was one of the reasons we chose it." Maxon smiled.

"Kile goes there! In the Architecture department!"

"Another definite bonus." America giggled.

Aspen couldn't stop himself from boasting, "Meri's been accepted there for the fall term, too."

"Meri's going?" Addy gasped, her heart leaping in her chest.

"She'll be in the English Literature department." Aspen nodded, beaming with pride.

Back in Carolina, Aspen had struggled every day to make sure that all of his siblings learned to read well enough to be eligible for indoor work as Sixes. Heaven knew the schools hadn't been much help, back then. Now, a generation later, his baby girl was a prolific reader and was off to one of the best universities in the country to study literature. He and America had cried together over the phone for a full hour when they'd found out.

Addy was close to the verge of tears, herself, even without all of the contextual information, "Does that mean Meri can live with me? Does that mean we can _live_ together?" Addy was so excited at the thought, she seemed to flutter in her seat. In a heartbeat, she'd already imagined how much fun they'd have decorating their dormitory and baking cookies in the middle of the night to surprise one another.

But Aspen instantly looked uncomfortable and Adrienne's heart dropped into her stomach, "Oh, sweetheart… um, actually, I think Meri's planning to enter the roommate lottery…" he said.

"Oh." Addy tried not to let the sting of disappointment show on her face. She'd gotten ahead of herself, she shouldn't have leapt to a conclusion like that.

"It's just that the two of you have been having sleepovers for all of your lives… she wants to meet new people and have new experiences…"

"Of course." Addy shook her head, kicking herself for making her Uncle Aspen feel so awkward. "I'm excited for her."

"I'm sorry, I probably should have brought her to the Palace today so that the two of you could discuss it."

"No, please. It's my fault." Addy promised him, still forcing her chest to unclench from the let-down. "I shouldn't have assumed."

America reached across Maxon and squeezed Addy's hand, "The two of you will still see each other all the time, and it'll be quite the adventure for both of you."

"Exactly." Addy forced a smile at Aspen, who nodded and offered a weak smile of his own. He was never good at not being the hero.

Stavros cleared his throat and added, "And did you know that Gregory Illéa, himself, attended this university before Illéa was founded?" His quick change of subject was much appreciated, it took the attention away from Addy's social misstep. "It's what inspired them to modify the name of the institution to honor their greatest alumnus. The last time a member of the Illéan royal family attended any university, it was Gregory Illéa himself, and it was _this_ school. The people are going to _love_ that you'll be following his tradition."

Addy blinked, "Will they?"

Gavril laughed jovially at her obvious skepticism, "The ones who might otherwise question your choice to attend university will be soothed by that bit of history, yes." he assured her.

"Alright, then." Addy shrugged, overwhelmed. In her wildest dreams, she'd never imagined that it might be so easy. She hadn't even let herself fully wish for this, it had seemed so impossible, and now here it was. Literally right in front of her.

"But sweetheart, there are caveats." Maxon was insistent. He didn't want her to get her hopes up, only to be disappointed by the fine print.

"What do I need to do?" Addy asked, sweeping her legs gracefully to the side and turning to give her father her full attention. She'd earned entrance to this institution and now, damn it, she would do whatever it took to earn a degree from them.

Gavril spoke up, "We'll need to manage public opinion very carefully. Education is a hot button issue right now, given the desegregation measures taking effect in most of the country. You're attending this university alongside children of all socioeconomic backgrounds, and the desegregationists will love it, but the segregationists will view it as a political statement."

"Everything I do is a political statement, there's no getting around that." Addy reasoned, looking to her parents for confirmation. America, especially, was nodding her agreement.

"Indeed." Gavril nodded. "The fact that the school we've chosen was Gregory Illéa's school will help temper some of that discomfort."

"Good." Addy was fully ready to stop caring about what a bunch of elitist, segregationist idiots thought of her.

"But it won't be enough on its own, not if my polling is any indication." Gavril warned. "Another fine feature of the Kings University is that it's only a two hour drive from the Palace. You'll be able to come back for important social events, and it will be crucial that we get photographs of you and your father side by side every single time you visit, to reinforce that you are still training to be his heir."

"Alright. I'll be traveling back and forth a lot." Addy allowed. "But I'm going to live there? On campus?"

Aspen spoke up, "I've been in talks with the president of the university all week, and she is incredibly amenable. Whatever we need, the campus is offering up, so what I've negotiated at the moment is a private building."

"A _what?_ " Addy frowned, hoping she'd misheard. This did _not_ sound like meeting new people and experiencing life in a new way…

"You'll be traveling along with your entire security team, including alternates. It will require most of a building to house all of you, anyway. Understand, I'm not speaking of a building as large as this Palace. I would say the student housing pods are closer in size to your Aunt Kenna and Uncle James' residence. That space would usually be divided into six bedrooms and shared amongst ten or twelve students. Instead, you will have the top floor and your team will have the ground floor."

"So I won't quite have my own mansion, is what you're saying?"

"Not quite. I passed on the mansion." Aspen winked.

"Thank you for that."

"I know it's not the same as having a roommate and living amongst the rest of the students, Bird, but if it makes you feel any better, you _will_ be living in student housing. Tiny kitchen, scratchy mattress, the works." he grinned.

"Will the hot water work?" Addy pretended to pout.

"Only periodically." Aspen chuckled.

"Good." Addy grinned. "Then I'll make the best of it."

"That's our girl." Aspen smiled.

"Now, Princess," Stavros continued, "This next part is very important. If you don't agree, we can call this whole experiment off."

Addy swallowed nervously.

Maxon nodded toward his mentor, taking charge of the next item on their agenda. He wanted to break it to his daughter himself. "We think the best thing we can do to avoid creating big problems down the road for you with the people is to have you take an accelerated study program."

"What is that?" Addy asked.

America tapped in, literally by tapping and then gently covering Maxon's hand with her own, "You'd be entering school as a sixteen year old this fall. We'd enroll you in the program that allows you to finish your degree in two years. This requires extra hours of classes per semester, as well as summer and winter courses. Miss Alvaraz has assured us that, if tested, you would completely place out of some of the basic introductory courses, and that will help you tremendously, but even so… It's _very_ difficult, but we know that you are capable of it. This way, you would graduate at eighteen years old."

"Why is that important?" Addy asked. "Why not take another year or two, I'm already going in young—"

Maxon smiled sympathetically and spoke, "Because, this way, you'd have just enough time to finish preparing for a Selection by your nineteenth birthday."

Addy blinked, mind racing. "Oh." For some reason she couldn't figure out, the thought of hosting a Selection didn't make her happy.

But why? It was a great opportunity to improve morale for the country, it would boost her parents' approval ratings as the country relived Maxon's Selection nostalgically, and Addy would have a wide selection of eligible young men to cull through in search of a husband. When else would she ever have such a staggeringly good opportunity to get everything she wanted, and everything she needed, and help her family, too? Why was her stomach aching at the thought of this?

Maxon nodded, as if he understood the look on her face, "If you take the accelerated program this fall, you can still follow tradition in all of the important ways. Marry at nineteen, after a very exciting Selection, and then ascend when you're twenty. Or, you know, you could save the wedding for the coronation, whichever you'd like." Maxon added the last part as an afterthought, as though he was offering her all of the freedom in the world.

"Right." Addy swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She looked around the room at the expectant expressions on the faces of her mentors. "This is the only way I can go to university? If I speed through, and then marry someone immediately after?"

Gavril frowned at the way she'd phrased it, "It's the very best we're able to do for you, your Highness. It will smooth the transition to your reign, it will give you the best possible start to your years as Queen while still allowing you to live your dream."

Addy looked down at the acceptance letter again, mind spinning. It was true, wasn't it? This was her dream, and they were offering it to her on gold embossed letterhead. So why was the flavor in her mouth so bitter? Was she just ungrateful? Scared? Insane for thinking of passing up this privilege? She looked back around the room, "Could you excuse me for just one moment?"

"Of course, darling." Maxon said gently.

Addy stood, sweeping the folder that held her acceptance packet up in her arms. She ignored as most of the room stood to acknowledge her exit, and she dashed out into the hallway and quickly through into the first empty room she could find, Meeting Room A.

A big, empty table with elegant empty chairs, and the only sound other than oppressive silence was the ticking of the clock on the wall. Addy tossed her acceptance packet down on the table and slumped into one of the chairs, nerves ringing.

A month ago, she'd never have believed university was possible. Now here she was, being offered the opportunity of a lifetime, and she had the nerve to be disappointed because it didn't look like she'd thought it would? Because it would be two years instead of four? Where did she get the nerve? She felt so unappreciative.

Not to mention, she'd been trying to sort through this whole 'Selection' conundrum since she was thirteen years old! Whether to host one, if it would help or hurt her family, when the best timing would be. Now here she was, finally presented with a solid, perfect plan, and it was making her sick to her stomach. What was wrong with her?

A Selection was economical, if nothing else, because it would present her with 35 options to choose from. _Real_ options. She wouldn't have to rely on Palace balls, or gatherings of diplomats, in order to meet boys her own age who might be interested in dating her. She'd find someone acceptable out of the 35 Selected, she knew she would. If she couldn't find a good match out of 35 different eligible young men, then a good match simply didn't exist for her. There were plenty of women in this world who found their husbands after dating far fewer than 35 men, she reminded herself.

Her father had done a Selection, _every heir_ in her family had done it before her. All the heirs of Illéa had found their spouses through the Selection, and why should she be any different?

Plus, she'd be much older by then. Any lingering, confusing, childish feelings she may or may not even have for one Prince Lucas of England would be long gone by then. Not that she was even sure if she had such feelings in the first place. But if she did, she'd be older and wiser soon, and they'd be gone.

Not that she was even thinking about Lucas. Lucas had nothing to do with her decisions; she wasn't going to plan her life around a boy she only saw a few times a year, a boy she thought of like a brother! It was laughable. She actually laughed when she thought about it long enough.

"What's so funny, Addy?" America's voice came from the doorway, and Addy spun in her swivel chair to find her mother looking concerned.

"Nothing." Addy promised. "Truly, truly nothing."

"May I join you?"

"Sure." Addy gestured to the chair next to her. America slumped in to match Addy's posture, and they giggled a little at their undignified behavior.

"Are you okay, Birdy?" America asked, after a long moment. "I know this is sort of surprising. It's startling to be presented with such a detailed plan so suddenly."

"I definitely wasn't expecting this when I got your note to join you for the meeting." Addy confessed.

"I know." America said, sympathetically. "What I want you to remember is, you have the power here. You're in control of this. If you don't like the plan that your father and I and the advisers put together for you, you can reject it. That doesn't mean you won't get to go to university, and it doesn't mean you'll have a hard time with the people once you're Queen. Consider this proposal as 'suggestion A'. It's so, _so_ important to me that you choose what you want for yourself, baby girl. You have no idea how hard I worked to give you the chance to choose for yourself."

"It's not that I don't like the plan, Mom… actually, it's pretty smart. I could get what I want, and I might come out of this looking more favorable to the people than I did going in. They might like having a monarch who has formally studied economics and sociology and political science."

"That's true." America smiled.

"It just feels like a big commitment."

"Oh sweetheart, that's because it _is_." America reassured her. She spun in her chair and rolled herself over so that she and Addy were facing the same grey wall, side by side. America laid her arm on Addy's armrest and grabbed her hand. "They're asking you to commit to a marriage _and_ an ascension plan. That's _big_."

"I know… but I was always going to get married and ascend anyway." Addy tried to take away some of the magnitude from her decision.

" _Were_ you going to get married?" America asked interestedly.

Adrienne remembered her parents insisting that she never had to marry if she didn't want to. That she was free to do whatever she wanted. Addy wished, more than ever, that she could understand what she wanted enough to know how to choose it. "I guess so." Addy said. "I might as well. It'll make my reign a lot less complicated."

"Baby Bird," America breathed. "Why don't you _ever_ talk about love?"

"What?" Addy turned her head to look at her mother. Familiar, bright blue eyes peered back at her, concerned.

"You've made planning your future one of your top priorities for years now, ever since you started asking after those videos of your father's Selection. But in all that time you've never once talked about finding _love_. Why not? Why isn't that a priority for you?"

Addy blinked, baffled, "I don't know…"

"Aren't you interested in finding what your father and I have? What Aunt Kenna and Uncle James, Aunt May and Uncle Ryland, Aunt Marlee and Uncle Carter, Aunt Lucy and Uncle Aspen…" America trailed off with a crooked smile, "Honestly, you're surrounded by amazing examples of love, everywhere you turn. Don't you want that for yourself?"

"I guess I just… what I really want is someone who will be a good partner. Someone who will be as wonderful a Prince consort as you are Queen, someone who will support my ideas, and have ideas of his own. I need a friend and ally far more than I need a kissing partner." Addy blushed at being so candid about romance with her mother.

America laughed, "Why not all three, Bird? Why not a best friend, an ally, _and_ a kissing partner? Sometimes they're all rolled into the same person, you know. It's _not_ too much to ask for. Your father and I found each other, after all. I know we were outrageously lucky, but it _is_ possible."

Addy wasn't sure why she'd never worried about falling in love. Maybe it just seemed unimportant compared to the rest of her responsibilities.

America read the confusion on her daughter's face and sighed, patting her thighs. Addy obliged, hooking both legs delicately across her mother's lap. America rested her arms across her new seatbelt, gazed steadily over at Addy, and said, "It's not self-indulgent, baby… I know love seems that way sometimes. Your father _wasn't_ being self-indulgent when he insisted that he wanted a chance at real love in his Selection—"

"I don't think that he was." Addy rushed to insist.

America brushed Addy's knee with her thumb, "You've always been so concerned with your duties to the country, and to your family. I've been thinking about it more, what with all of this talk of a Selection for you, and I'm starting to think that maybe… maybe your own happiness isn't important enough to you. Because you're not factoring falling in love into any equation in your head."

Addy frowned, feeling somehow insulted. "You make me sound like a martyr."

"That's not my intention."

"I'm already loved, Mom… You and Daddy love me; Jamesy, Maisy, Lief, and Rosie all love me more than words could say. I've got a thousand non-related aunts and uncles who all think of me as one of their own children, not to mention the aunts and uncles who are actual blood relatives. I've got Astra, Kile, and Meri… I've never felt unloved in all of my life."

"That's true. You've been adored since the moment I found out that I was pregnant with you. That will never change."

"There's no hole in my heart waiting to be filled." Addy explained. "I've always felt complete."

"Good." America smiled.

"And I _am_ happy, Mom. As long as I don't bring someone into my life who actively makes me unhappy, I'll continue to be happy."

America bit her lip, mulling this over. "I'm not saying that other relationships aren't important… I don't want to you to think I'm saying that the happiness and love you have doesn't matter. It matters."

"Okay…" Addy said with trepidation.

"But there's something to be said for having a best friend and lover as the foundation, the rock in your life. Your brothers and sisters won't live in this Palace forever, advisers come and go, people are living their own lives on their own journeys, Addy. There's something to be said for finding someone and tying your journey up with theirs, having that person by your side when everyone and everything else fades away."

It was Addy's turn to chew at her lip as she sorted through her thoughts. "Mom, I think if I met someone in my Selection… or wherever, but it could happen in a Selection as easily as it could happen anywhere else… and that person was a good fit for the monarchy and they were great with my brothers and sisters… if they fit into my group of friends, and they got along well with you and Daddy… how could I not love that person?"

"Love doesn't always follow an equation like that, sweetheart, but I see your point." America reassured her. "If someone met all those qualifications, they would obviously be lovely."

"Well, if I had feelings for someone who _didn't_ fit in with the monarchy or my family, I wouldn't marry them. There's no way." Addy insisted.

"So, you've got a specific list of criteria?" America was trying to understand.

"I guess I do. And there's no reason a Selection couldn't present me with options that check all of those boxes," Addy reasoned, as much with herself as her mother. The Selection was a good idea. She liked what she'd seen of the video of her dad's Selection. Her gut was twisting, but maybe that was just because she was nervous about it all.

America nodded, satisfied for the time being, "Okay. I can respect that. Just as long as love, and your own happiness, are on that list of boxes to be checked. It's not self-indulgent, it's not a frivolous luxury… you _deserve_ to be loved, Adrienne. You deserve to be adored by your partner, do you understand that?"

Addy was blushing furiously, "Well… I'll try, Mom, but I'm not really in control of whether 35 random boys decide to adore me or not."

"That's the scariest part of a Selection." America squeezed her knee sympathetically. "You never know if any of them will really fall in love with you. But as long as you're looking for that, as long as you're trying for it, your father and I will be happy."

Addy didn't know what to say. "I'll do my best."

"You always do." America smiled. Then she sat up and gently slid Addy's feet to the floor. "But Bird, you know that, no matter what, you'll still have final control, right? If it comes down to it and you need another year before your coronation or your Selection, you can decide for yourself."

"I know that, but I'll never feel _ready_ to be Queen. No one's ever ready for that kind of thing. I just have to trust that, when the time comes, I won't completely destroy Illéa." Addy smiled.

"You won't." America laughed.

"And I think a Selection will be good for the people. They'll be really excited, they've never had a Selection with men competing for a woman's hand before."

"Oh, I know." America said, lifting a well-stenciled eyebrow, "Mr. Stavros and I had _words_ about that once."

Addy winced. It was never pleasant when her mother had _words_ with someone.

America continued, "In any case, I love you. And no matter what you decide to do, I will support you. I want all the good things in the world for you, Addy."

"I know, Mom."

"Don't let those men in there make you feel like you have to do anything you don't want to do. If you agree to host a Selection after university, but you're not in love with any of the 35 candidates, you just send them all home, Baby Bird."

Addy laughed at the idea, "Won't I look like a spoiled princess if I do that? Like none of them are good enough for me?"

"None of them will be good enough for you! It'll look like the truth." America joked, smiling broadly. Then she added sincerely, "That perception can be managed. _Any_ perception can be managed. Enough hours building houses for the homeless with Jameson and feeding the hungry at your father's food kitchens, and the world will understand that you're looking for no more than what they're at liberty to search for. A real, true love;" then, as if she was making everything funny again, America added, "A brand new best friend who's really good at kissing."

Addy nervously laughed along with her mother, all the while trying to pry her heart open to the whirlwind of the change that she was about to throw herself into. And far beneath that smile she was trying to ignore the daydream that flashed through her mind unbidden, of a world in which she hadn't stopped Lucas from speaking his feelings for her at his birthday party.

A world in which she knew, one way or another, if her _current_ best friend was any good at kissing.


	7. Chapter 6

"No, Addy!" The giant teardrops that spilled from Rosie's big, brown eyes and down her chubby little cheeks came almost instantly. The shift from 'excited to have a family meeting' to 'devastated to the point of tears' was immediate, the heartbreak unequivocal. Rosie was simply too little to self-soothe or have defenses in place to protect against this level of pain.

Addy was seated next to her parents on one sofa in the family room. Jamesy, Maisy, Lief, and Rosie were squished on the opposing sofa.

It was family time. Maxon, America, and Addy had worked very hard to keep everything normal for the past few days while Addy finalized her decisions regarding university and began settling on specifics, like which day she was going to leave the Palace to move into her dormitory. Therefore, none of the younger Schreave kids had had a single clue that something like this was about to happen.

The stunned and hurt faces looking back at her from the other side of the coffee table caused Addy's stomach to clench painfully. "It's okay, Rosie—"

"You can't leave, Addy! You're not suppose'ta leave!" Rosie was hardly intelligible through her shaky sobs.

Addy opened her arms wide, but it took Rosie a moment to gather the strength to slide off one couch and cross to the other. When she finally got there, Addy pulled her up into her lap and squeezed her close. "I love you more than anything in the whole wide world, Rosebud. More than cake. More than coffee. More than Christmas presents. I'm not leaving because I don't love you."

"Why?" Rosie sloppily swiped at her cheeks.

"I want to learn a lot of good, smart things to help me be the Queen."

"No, Daddy can teach you, he's smart." Rosie promised, hoping to resolve Addy's misunderstanding.

Maxon chuckled, reaching over to rub Rosie's back soothingly. "I just don't have time to teach her everything, Rose-buddy. And there are some things that even I don't know."

"No." Rosie insisted, completely rejecting everything everyone was saying. Completely rejecting a world in which big sisters left their baby sisters behind and daddies didn't have all the answers to all the questions.

"Rosie, you can come visit me at school! I can show you the big library and we can meet all kinds of new friends." Addy tantalized.

"I can go to school, too?"

"Someday, when you're my age, if you want to."

"I want to go with you." Rosie begged.

"You're going to stay home with Mommy and Daddy, and Jamesy, and Maisy, and Lief." Addy said, "And sometimes you'll come and visit me. And sometimes I'll come back to the Palace—"

"For my birthday?"

"Of course I'll be here for your birthday! I wouldn't miss your very special fifth birthday." Addy winked. "And I'll be back for Halloween _and_ my birthday _and_ Christmas _and_ New Years—"

"You will?"

"Yes. And in-between, when we aren't together, you and I will write secret messages to each other and send them through the mail."

" _I_ will have _letters_?" Rosie gasped. As a four year old, she hardly ever received letters.

"Secret ones, from me." Addy kissed her dark blonde hair.

Rosie pressed her cheek on Addy's shoulder, thinking everything through. It was still a major loss. "What if I'm scared? What if there's thunder?"

"You'll have Mommy and Daddy." Addy reminded her.

"What if they're travenin'?" 'Traveling' was a complicated word to pronounce, and Rosie didn't like practicing it because usually 'traveling' was a terrible, horrible thing that took her parents away from her, so Rosie thought about it as little as possible.

"I'll be here." Maisy spoke up. "If there's thunder, and Mommy and Daddy are traveling, I'll be here. You can always come sleep in my bed, Bud."

Rosie sighed with relief, remembering that she had a backup big sister.

"And even when it's the middle of the night, if you're scared and you need me, you can call me on the telephone." Addy reminded Rosie. "Any of you can." She added, glancing up to her other siblings. "We can have big, long telephone conversations."

Addy knew Rosie would latch onto that idea, because the youngest Schreave baby was _obsessed_ with phone calls but had no one to call, herself. Sometimes she would beg to intrude on America's calls with Queen Nicoletta, who was always happy to hear from little Rosie, but who was also extremely busy and so the conversations were always short.

Rosalynn continued to hug Adrienne tight, refusing to leave her lap, but the tears slowed to a stop. She was coming to terms with the news.

"Addy, I'm really happy for you." Jameson said.

"Thanks." Addy smiled appreciatively.

"It'll mean a little more responsibility than you're used to, son." Maxon warned.

"That's okay, I can handle it." Jamesy promised eagerly. He knew that 'more responsibility' also meant more one-on-one time with his dad. Jamesy was at an age when he was starving for that kind of time.

Maxon nodded, his tone full of confidence, "I know you can, Jameson." And Jameson smiled broadly.

"I really appreciate the help, Jamesy. If it wasn't for you taking over a few of my day-to-day responsibilities, I wouldn't even be able to go." Addy said.

"I know." Jameson grinned teasingly. "You owe me now."

Addy laughed, "Yeah, I do."

"You owe me, too!" Rosie chirped.

"I know, Rosebud." Addy giggled, kissing her hair again.

"You owe me toys…" Rosie grumbled, popping her thumb into her mouth.

This set off a few moments of America reminding Rosie not to suck her thumb, that thumbs are covered in germs, that sucking thumbs is for babies, and Rosie being unwilling to part with both her oldest sister and her comfort thumb. Finally, as a compromise, Addy snuggled Rosie even closer on her lap and then covered the sucked thumb with her own hand, substituting one comfort for another. Rosie temporarily submitted.

Maxon studied his younger children and frowned, "Lief? What are you thinking, son? You've been so quiet over there."

Lief shrugged, lips pulled into a deep frown.

"How do you feel?" America asked, attempting a different avenue of questioning.

Again, a shrug.

Jameson stepped in, "Well, _I_ feel kind of sad, because I'll miss Addy while she's gone. What do you think, Lief?"

Lief nodded, frowning even deeper.

Maisy caught on and added, "And two years is a _long time_ for her not to be living in her room down the hall…"

Lief balled up a fist and rested his head on it, sighing deeply.

"But I'm also happy for Addy…" Jameson added cheerfully, "Because I know she's going to have a lot of fun, and make new friends, and learn lots of great new lessons…"

Lief gulped.

"And," Maisy added, "Addy's never been allowed to join a soccer team or take music lessons in the city, she's never been allowed out of the Palace for normal things before. This is the most normal thing that's ever happened to her, and I'm really happy she's getting to do this."

They sat in silence for a moment as Lief pondered everything. Finally the seven-year-old Schreave managed, "Can we have secret letters, too, Addy?"

Addy laughed, relieved that something so simple might help her baby brother through this difficult change. "Of course!"

"You'll always be home for birthdays and Christmas?" he double-checked.

"Always."

Lief shook his head, "Jamesy, can we still play at the tree castle, even though you have to have more work now?"

"'Course we can, Lief." Jameson nodded bracingly.

"And I can still teach you soccer tricks." Maisy reminded him.

"And when I'm home," Addy said, "We'll still sneak down to the kitchens to make macaroni and cheese if dinner has too many vegetables."

America gasped and pretended to have _no idea_ about Lief and Addy's not-so-secret tradition, " _What_ did you say?"

Lief finally cracked a reluctant giggle as Addy said, "Nothing, Mom…" And then winked at Lief.

"We're still a family." Maxon smiled warmly. "We'll always be a family, forever. Addy _will_ come back. I know two years seems like a long time, but once we get used to this change, it will fly by. Then she'll come home and be ours again."

The older kids were nodding, the younger kids were still uncertain.

"You don't have to be happy about this right now, okay?" Addy said to her littlest siblings. "That's not your job. We're not trying to _make_ you happy, we just want to help you not be hurt, if we can."

"Um…" Lief ventured, "I know what will help."

"What is it, sweetheart?" America asked, desperate to do whatever she could to lessen their pain.

"Swimming?" Lief asked, hopeful blue eyes peeking up at them.

Maxon and America grinned at one another. They hadn't had a 'Schreave family pool party', where they all got to go swimming together (even Maxon), yet this year, and it was already June.

"How fast can we all change into our swimming suits?" America pondered. "We've only got an hour and a half until Rosie and Lief's bedtime, and there won't be much time for swimming if it takes half an hour just to get down there, and another half to come back for bath time…"

There was a beat as the Schreave children met each other's eager eyes, and then they all leapt up from the couches. "Run, Lief!" Jameson urged as the boys rocketed out of the family room at a sprint.

"I'll help Rosie change—" Maisy rushed over and Addy hurriedly handed off their cheering baby sister so that the blonde girls could scurry down the hall toward their bedrooms.

Addy was already gathering her hair up in a knot for swimming, but she paused to turn to her smiling parents. "I think that went alright, don't you?"

"Give them time." America nodded.

"You're still happy?" Maxon checked.

"Well… Yeah. I don't want to miss my brothers and sisters, but… I still _really_ want to go." Addy determined.

America kissed Addy's cheek, "It's possible to want two opposing things at the same time. It's confusing and complicated, but it happens more and more the older you get."

"Does it get easier?" Addy asked, eyes widening as she looked between her parents. This had been a painful evening at first, she didn't want to feel this every day, more and more, for the rest of her life.

Maxon shrugged, wrapping an arm around America's waist, "Are you still doing what you think is right?"

"Yes."

"Whatever is inside you, telling you that this is what you're meant to be doing," Maxon smiled, "Listen to it. Learn what it sounds like so you'll always know what it's saying. I know you're not doing the easy thing here, Addy, and I'm actually _very_ proud of that."

"You are?"

Maxon and America shared a particularly long and sappy smile, and Addy rolled her eyes. " _You are_?" She repeated, to remind them she was in the room.

"If this was easy, it wouldn't be worthy of you." Maxon said, simply. "You're broadening and strengthening yourself by taking on this challenge, even though it will cost you time with your family and the other comforts of home. Your mother and I are both exceedingly proud."

Those words from her father melted all the discomfort of the night away. She was still worried about the future, but now more than that, she was looking forward to a night of splashing around in the pool, under the stars, with her family. Besides, it was only June. She still had two whole months before she had to leave all this behind.

* * *

"Addy!" There was excited knocking at Addy's office door.

Addy laughed, recognizing that voice. Only her friends ever knocked like that. Advisers and palace guests were announced by guards, and Addy's family knocked softly before walking right in. Her friends were the only ones who shouted her name, pounded at the door enthusiastically, and then just stood there, waiting.

Addy raced from around her desk and threw the door open to see Kile's shining, eager face.

"You're back!" Addy threw her arms around him excitedly.

"I'm back." He agreed, squeezing her in a tight hug and lifting her from the floor.

Kile had taken the summer session at Angeles University to get in an extra art class. He'd insisted that it would help his designs when he finished school and became a real architect. Addy knew that Marlee, Carter, and Josie had missed him like crazy for the extra seven weeks he'd been gone.

At the sight of him, Marlee had stood from her side of Addy's office and hurried over, "Welcome home, baby!" She exclaimed, waiting impatiently for Kile to finish squeezing the breath out of Addy before getting a hug of her own. "How was the drive?"

"Perfect." Kile assured her. This had been the first time he'd been allowed to drive himself from university back to the Palace, all on his own. "It's a gorgeous day out there, Mom, I put the top down." he grinned.

"You did?" Marlee shook her head woefully. Carter's and Marlee's parents had all conspired behind Carter's and Marlee's backs to gift Kile with a convertible for his nineteenth birthday. He hadn't had the chance to use it much at university, his classes were close enough to walk to, but today he'd had a couple of hours on an open stretch of road and he'd loved it.

"I'll take you for a ride later." Kile promised, pecking Marlee on the cheek. "You too, Addy."

Addy grinned, "I don't think a car ride with you is on the list of pre-approved out-of-Palace activities."

"Why not?" Kile pretended to be offended.

"Your convertible isn't bullet-proof, Woodwork." Addy teased.

"Oh." he conceded. Then he sobered, his tone belied with sincerity, "You're really missing out on some fun, Adrienne."

"I'm sure." she smiled ruefully.

"But hey," Kile squeezed her hand, "I hear you're coming to Kings University next year! I'm so happy, Addy, this is going to be great! We'll sneak out one night and go for a drive—"

"You'll do _what_?" Marlee demanded.

"Mom—" Kile complained at her instant overprotectiveness.

"You understand that if something happens to Addy—"

"Mom—" This time Kile soothed.

"She's the heir to the throne, Kile! Think of what would happen to the future of our country if she were lost! She needs to stay with her guards at all times next year, and please don't forget it."

" _Mom_." Kile said, this time matter-of-factly, "I'd never do anything to put Addy in danger, you know that. I was _joking_. We'll find a safe closed course to ride down or something, we'll negotiate with her security team to make it work. Okay?"

Marlee pressed her lips together, but nodded. "I'm sorry, Kile, I just… I don't think you know how hard this has been on Uncle Maxon and Aunt Ames, and on General Leger. We've been coming up with strategies to deal with all kinds of different imaginary threats on Addy's life that might pop up, so far away from the Palace. Spending so much time imagining doom and gloom is starting to take its toll on us, that's all."

Kile kissed his mother's forehead and said, "That's understandable."

Addy clasped her hands behind her back, contrite. She'd had no idea her parents and the adults in her life were struggling. "Is there anything I can do?"

" _Never_ sneak away from your security team, Adrienne Emlyn Schreave, do you understand me?" Marlee's words were firm but her voice was pleading.

"I promise, Aunt Marls." Addy reassured her. "You can scratch that off the list of things you have to worry about." Addy took a breath and looked between the Woodworks in her office. "You should both go find Josie and have lunch together. I'll be fine without you for the afternoon, Aunt Marlee."

"Really?" Marlee's eyes lit up and Kile grinned.

"Really." Addy nodded, opening the door for the both of them to leave.

"Thanks, Addy." Kile smiled. "We'll catch up later."

"Yeah, I need to hear all about the campus."

Kile mock-saluted her, the way his father might have actually saluted her, and then he led his mother off down the hall.

* * *

From all the way down the hall, Addy could hear loud laughter coming from her father's office. She knocked once before peeking her head in.

Astra and Maxon were leaned back on one of Maxon's sofas, sharing a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries. Maxon's shoes were kicked off, Astra's feet were bare, and they both had their legs up, resting on a coffee table. Maxon's tie was loose and crooked, his jacket long ago discarded, and his face still lit up from their laughter.

"Am I interrupting something?" Addy grinned.

"Not at all, Bird." Maxon waved her in. "Just sharing a few minutes with my beloved Pumpkin head."

"Want some berries?" Astra offered, holding up the half-empty plate.

"No thanks." Addy said, eyeing the cream the they were dipping the berries in. "But, um—"

Maxon chuckled and offered her his spoon. "I've had enough."

"Thank you, Daddy." Addy eagerly joined them on the sofa, kicking off her own shoes, and digging into the whipped cream with delight.

Maxon smiled between the two of them, then closed his eyes with a sigh. "If I had my way, we'd do this every afternoon, girls."

"Mmm…" Addy smiled around the spoon in her mouth at the idea.

"Maybe someday." Astra said, brightly. "You'll be retired in a few years, right? Then we can schedule a twenty minute meeting with Addy where all we do is eat chocolate covered strawberries while she empties a bowl of pure whipped cream."

"Yeah!" Addy smiled.

Maxon's lips tugged upward, but the expression behind his eyes was exhausted. "That would be nice."

Addy tugged his arm around her and leant into his side, tucking her legs up on the sofa. "What do you have next?"

"Jepsen."

Addy winced. "What are you paying for now?"

"Your Selection."

"Oh." Addy frowned. "Do you want me there?"

"Not at all, sweetheart, it's going to be fine. We've been tucking money away here and there since you were born, you have a nice fund already. We're just looking at ways to add to it over the next couple of years."

Astra wiped a smear of chocolate off of her lips and stared at them. "Addy? You're having a Selection?"

Addy gulped. She hadn't seen Astra since accepting the adviser's proposal, and she'd wanted to talk about it all in person. "Ready for our walk?" Addy asked pointedly. It was why she'd sought Astra out to begin with.

"Yeah, I guess so." Astra said, indicating with her tone that if that was the only way she was getting answers, she was ready to go immediately.

Addy leant over and kissed Maxon's cheek, "Thank you, Dad."

"You're welcome, baby bird." Maxon took the spoon back from her and set aside the dish.

"Not for the cream." Addy smiled. "For taking this meeting instead of taking a nap."

Maxon smiled and patted her cheek, "It's my pleasure."

Addy stood and slipped her feet back into her shoes, while Astra found her flats and slid them on. "Thanks for the snack, Mackin." Astra said, hugging her uncle.

"You're very welcome, Pumpkin. I'm _so_ glad you're back in Angeles."

"Me, too."

"Have fun, you two." Maxon waved the girls off.

Addy let an officer close the door to her dad's office behind them, linking arms with Astra as they walked down the hall, toward the stairs.

"So? Last I heard you were just watching the videos." Astra said, pointedly.

"I did." Addy assured her. "It was enlightening. My necklace… Astra, did you know my mom once gave this necklace to a man who had been sentenced to life in prison. He used it to pay his debt to the Crown."

"I had no idea." Astra gulped. "What was… I mean, why would she—"

"I don't really know." Addy shook her head. "I asked Mom about it, she didn't go into much detail. All the girls were supposed to listen to a prisoner's crimes and then assign them their sentences. It was some kind of test, proof that the Selected could obey, could submit. All the laws were written so that any crime committed anywhere, no matter what it was, was a transgression against the King. If you stole an apple, you stole it from the King. If you robbed your neighbor, you robbed the King. So it was like the Selected were proving that they would do whatever it took to punish those who had 'harmed' the King or something." Addy was still flabbergasted by the whole thing.

"Is that how the laws are written now?"

"Technically." Addy shrugged. "It's not how they're interpreted anymore, though."

"You should do something to fix them when you're Queen." Astra advised.

"Believe me, it's on the list." Addy frowned. "Anyway, there were other things the girls had to do, too. Actually useful responsibilities. Practice hosting parties with foreign delegations, interviews about theoretical policy positions; I even saw that thing my parents are always joking about, the _Report_ thing."

Astra nodded, remembering the joke better than the historical event, "Oh, right, something about the castes?"

"Yeah, when she proposed dismantling the castes, live on TV, and the feed cut right after that."

Astra laughed, "It _is_ kind of funny, looking back."

Addy shuddered, "I'm never doing that. I'm never going off-script on the _Report_. I never want to be the cause of a mess that big."

Astra squeezed her hand. "So you looked at all of that and thought, with a few tweaks, it would be a good way to find the love of your life?"

"Well, not exactly…"

" _Addy—_ " Astra scowled, preparing a rant about how important finding love was.

"I'm sure it will be!" Addy defended. "But it's doing something even more important for me."

"More important than providing you with a husband?"

" _Yes_." Addy said, flatly. "Husbands aren't everything. I plan to have a whole life and list of accomplishments outside of whatever husband I end up with."

Astra couldn't help but laugh. "You're perfectly right, Bird. A girl's life is not measured by what kind of husband she can snag."

Addy nodded, pleased, "Exactly."

"So what is this Selection getting you, then?"

Addy paused and turned to Astra, grinning like crazy. "I'm going to Kings University in the fall."

Astra's jaw dropped all the way open for a long gasp of a moment. Finally she managed, "Seriously?!"

"Yep."

"No!"

" _Yes_." Addy laughed.

This was where Astra started getting teary eyed, "Addy, I'm so happy for you! Come here!" and they hugged. "… Oh, Birdy, this is the _best_ news. Your dream came true!" she squeezed Addy tighter.

"Yeah… I guess it did." Addy allowed herself a grin.

"But what does it have to do with a Selection?" Astra pulled back, remembering the rest of their conversation.

"Well," Addy said, re-looping their arms and continuing on their way down toward the gardens, "The thing is, if I want to keep the people happy, I need to show them how much I respect Illéa's traditions. And I need a husband at some point anyway, to help with the work around the Palace. It's a great way to kill two birds with one stone."

Astra narrowed her eyes at Addy and said skeptically, "I've never heard of anything less romantic than that."

Addy shook her head, "Romance is a trap."

Astra laughed, " _What_?"

"Stupid moonlit fountains… stupid boys with stupid romantic words… It's a _trap_ , Astra—"

"Baby bird, what in the name of all that is holy are you talking about?" Astra was still laughing incredulously.

Addy sighed in an enormously overdramatic way. "We need to talk about _England_."

Astra's eyes widened comically as she considered the lengths and depths of gossip that 'England' could lead to. "What happened?"

Addy didn't know where to start. The guards opened the doors to the gardens for them and bowed. "I wish you'd been there… it never would have happened if you had been there—"

"Addy, do I need to go assassinate an English prince?" Astra paused, turning to Addy, alarmed.

"No! No, nothing like that. I…" Addy buried her head in her hands and then dragged Astra farther from the Palace so that they were less likely to be overheard.

They climbed to the very top of the tree castle, hanging their legs off the side, peering out over Addy's parents' bench and across the gardens beyond.

Addy steeled herself by taking a deep breath, "Lucas tried to _kiss_ me."

Astra considered this news, thinking it over. "Oh." She clearly wasn't surprised. "Okay. Um, tell me more."

"We were taking a break from the crowd at the party, sitting alone by that fountain out across their lawn."

"The one we used to swim in?"

"Yeah. The moon was bright, the stars were beautiful, and he was so, so sweet…"

"He's Lucas. He's the sweetest guy in the world." Astra pointed out, studying her cousin's face. "Addy, did you _want_ to kiss him?"

"I… I don't know. I _really_ don't know, I'm not just avoiding the answer." Addy explained. "It's complicated." She thought of the conversation she'd had with her parents the night they'd told her siblings that she was going away for university. "I wanted two different things at the same time, I think. I sort of wanted to kiss him, but… I didn't want him to be my _first_ kiss. And at the same time I _didn't_ want to kiss him, because I need him. I mean, I _really_ need him as my friend. And, look, I think it's dumb that you're ignoring Andrew—"

"It's just weird with him, it's hard to explain—"

"I know, but he's one of our oldest friends and he really misses you, but that's not my point." Addy waved her hand. "My point is, even though I wouldn't ignore Lucas after a break up, things would still be weird between us for the rest of our lives."

"What if he's the one, though, Addy? What if you'd never break up because the two of you are perfect for each other? Lucas has always understood you on an emotional level better than anyone else. You've always had a special bond, as long as I can remember, which is much longer than _you_ can remember."

"Astra, I've never been kissed! How am I supposed to gamble my entire friendship, not just with Lucas but with Andrew, too, on the hope that the very first boy I ever kiss in my life is the person I'm going to marry? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of."

Astra blinked at her cousin, "Addy, your mom was your dad's first kiss."

Addy gaped, "What?"

Astra shook her head, "I can't believe you don't know this. Birdy, your dad was just like you, he'd never spent much time around eligible girls until his Selection. Then, the night before his Selection started, he met your mom." Both girls let their eyes drift to the bench on the grounds below them. Addy did, at least, know that part of the story. "She stole his heart. Aunt Ames was the first one he wanted to kiss."

"How do you know that?" Addy narrowed her eyes skeptically.

Astra giggled, "I used to make your dad tuck me in at night with the story of your parents falling in love. Aunt Ames winning the Selection, falling in love with the prince, becoming a princess… I thought it was better than a fairytale because it starred two of my favorite people. He told me about kissing your mom for the first time like it was written somewhere in a gold-embossed book." Even now, as an adult, Astra sounded wistful about it.

Addy thought about this as they both fell silent, the sounds of the gardens wafting up to them. A breeze rustled through the hedges, and somewhere in the distance a bird chirped. "It's going to take me more than one try to figure this all out, Astra." Addy confessed. "Whoever I marry has to check a lot of boxes because he's going to be the Prince consort of Illéa. It's not fair to expect me to be able to make that decision in one kiss."

Astra let her dangling feet begin swaying back and forth, "No one expects you to do that."

"That's what it would have to be if I kissed Lucas. He's too important for me to casually kiss. It would have to be for sure, you know? I can't just kiss him for fun, because—"

"Because why?"

"Because there's only so much we can put those boys through before we lose them forever." Addy managed, though her cheeks burned at the veiled accusation in her words. If it wasn't for Astra's dalliance with Andrew, maybe Addy would have more leeway to dally with Luke.

Astra sighed heavily. "Listen, Bird, Andrew and I made the decision to start dating _together_. And we made the decision to stop together. There are absolutely no hard feelings. We still love each other, we'll _always_ love each other. We'd still do anything for each other."

"Then why won't you talk to him?"

"Because I'm a baby! I'm embarrassed and I'm not taking responsibility. I'm avoiding it because it's easier than working through it. But that has nothing to do with you, Bird, you should be free to try whatever you need to try. Kiss Lucas. Kiss _anybody_ you want to kiss. You don't have to pay for my mistakes. And they're _certainly_ not Luke's fault."

"You think I should have let him kiss me?" Addy couldn't believe it. If anyone had a cautionary tale about kissing English princes all willy-nilly, it was Astra.

"What was it you said to me? 'If you hadn't kissed Andrew, you'd have always wondered'? Something like that? I don't want you to always wonder about Luke. I want you to know for sure, _especially_ if it's not going to work out. Don't marry someone else and then spend your life pining for an English boy who would have been your ex within a few months anyway. Cross him off the list, baby bird, and keep flying." Astra encouraged.

"It just doesn't seem smart." Addy said. "Especially now that I'm going to have a Selection. Luke's not an option for me, not a real one."

"Maybe he'll enter your Selection, if you give him enough warning." Astra laughed. "He can immigrate and become a citizen by the time you're ready to host your competition."

"Don't even joke." Addy shook her head gravely.

Astra paused her teasing and said soberly, "Addy bird, not everything in life has to be _smart_ , not even for you. You should get to do the fun thing every once in a while."

Addy pouted, letting her hands fall to her lap. "I hate fun." she grumbled. "Fun is so complicated."

Astra laughed at her dramatics, "I know, sweetie."

"I'm too young to have to deal with such complex fun."

Astra laughed again, "Poor Bird."

"I don't want fun ever again." Addy bemoaned, thinking of Lucas and his hair and his eyes and his lips…

"Okay." Astra giggled. "But would it make you feel better if I gave Fun's brother a call to see how Fun is feeling about this whole almost-kiss situation, now that he's had time to think it through rationally?"

"You'd do that for me?" she was touched that her cousin would initiate that uncomfortable conversation with Andrew, just to help Addy and Lucas work through this.

"Oh, Addy." Astra wrapped an arm tight around Addy's shoulders. "There's nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for you, Cousin-Sister-of-my-Heart."

Addy laughed at the reference to their special childhood titles for each other. "Thanks, Astra. Maybe just give Fun's brother a call and see… if we're all still friends and everything."

"Okay." Astra kissed Addy's cheek. "But you owe me."

Addy nodded, "There's a lot of that going around."

"And you're going to be the Queen soon, so I can probably get something _really good_ out of this."

"Probably." Addy giggled.

"Like a yacht made of gold." Astra snickered.

The very idea of Astra standing proudly on a sinking golden yacht (for any yacht made of pure gold would be utterly unable to float) made both of them collapse into silly, contagious giggles.

* * *

For most of the summer, it was easy to pretend that September 1st wasn't coming. There was a lot for Addy to do, helping her mother prepare for the Grateful Feast Parade, and helping her father assemble the budget proposal for the next year. Earmarked at the bottom of an unassuming paragraph was the amount of money that would be set aside to pay for the census that would tell the Palace where to send Selection invitations in a couple of years. Addy couldn't tell if that little addition made her nervous or excited, but either way her stomach was fluttering.

Maisy's 12th birthday was in early August, and the family celebrated it quietly. Every Aunt, Uncle, and Palace kid was in attendance, not to mention half of Maisy's soccer team. Addy kept a close eye on them, and it was hard to tell, but it seemed like the bullying was under control. It was obvious that Maisy had a couple of close, best friends to defend her and build up her confidence, at least. Addy hoped Maisy would hang onto those girls, at least for the next two years until Addy was done with university and could defend Maisy herself.

Then in late August there was the _big_ celebration. King Maxon's 40th birthday commemoration. There was a week of festivities throughout Angeles, and the Royal family was expected to attend most of them. Poor Lief and Rosie were so tired out from all of the events, they napped through most of the boat parade (It sounded more fun in theory. Watching a string of boats float by in reality was very slow and boring).

Family time was cut short all week because dinners were out of the Palace, but the Schreaves still managed to find a few minutes every night to gather together and enjoy each other's company. On the actual day of Maxon's birthday, all he wanted was a full hour of family time before the culmination of the royal celebrations, the Palace ball, began.

America and Addy had a lot of work to finish in preparation for the guests' arrival, but no matter what it cost them, they stayed with the family for the full hour after breakfast.

Jameson and Maisy played a board game and Rosie put on a special dress-up fashion show in the background. Lief crashed a handful of toy cars in increasingly creative ways, apparently directing his own imaginary action movie. Addy sat on the sofa with her parents, watching the relatively controlled chaos.

"You are unimaginably old." Addy grinned at her father.

Maxon chuckled and placed a kiss on Addy's temple. "I know. It's hard to believe, really. When I was first coronated, everyone called me a 'young king'. Stavros used to say how well I was doing for a 'young king'. But this morning I was thinking, and I realized that I can't remember the last time someone called me a 'young king'."

"No." Addy agreed. "You just have to settle for being the _best king in the world_." She emphasized the last part dramatically.

Maxon laughed and thanked her.

"For the record," America said teasingly, "Everyone still calls me a 'young queen'."

"As well they should, my dearest." Maxon winked.

They paused to cheer for Rosie's newest fashion choice, one of America's shirts that fit like a dress on little Rosie. It was belted with a ribbon from Addy's collection, and accessorized with one of America's old handbags and an absurdly long string of pearls from Addy's jewelry box (Addy would normally have triple wrapped the strand around her neck, making it the perfect length. Rosie chose, instead, to let them hang all the way to her ankles). Rosie curtseyed _and_ bowed, then turned and strutted from the room on her way to create another outfit.

Maxon leant toward America, gently tracing the sensitive side of her forearm from wrist to elbow. America snuggled into the embrace and sighed, content.

"I could do this all day." Maxon finally declared, gazing out over his family. "I really could."

"I know." America agreed.

"In another world, Max and Mer world, we'd have all day together."

"We'd have everyday together." America added.

Addy wasn't sure what 'Max and Mer' world was, but she knew those to be the names her mom and dad used every time they played 'castaways'. She figured it had something to do with that.

"You'll be retired soon." Addy chirped, hoping to make them feel better. "I mean, I know it won't be exactly the same because I won't be there, but it'll make a big difference to Jamesy, Maisy, Lief, and Rosie."

"It certainly will." America said.

"I can't wait to watch you come into your own, Bird." Maxon confessed. "I fully plan to be sitting right here for _your_ fortieth birthday, basking in how privileged I will have been to watch you grow into your role as Queen."

Addy gulped. "Um… How do you know I'll grow? What if I just… barely get by?" She always said something like this whenever Maxon seemed too optimistic about her future. She wanted to prepare him, just in case she couldn't live up to his expectations.

"Trust yourself. And if you can't do that yet, then trust me." Maxon squeezed her hand. "No one expects you to be fully-realized at the age of sixteen, or nineteen for that matter, Bird." He reassured her. "You'll keep growing and changing for the rest of your life, that's what humans do. You're an exceptional girl, but as far as your mother and I can tell, you _are_ still human. You're not beyond growth. Part of growth is not knowing what you'll turn into on the other side of things. You're not supposed to know, so if you're worried about not knowing what kind of queen you'll be, stop. Let that be one less thing to agonize over. No one knows what kind of person they'll be five years from now, but if you're diligent about doing your very best, if you're laying the foundation for a successful reign, then you're doing all that can possibly be done. And I'm proud of you."

Addy nodded, trying to let her father's words comfort her. How was it that now, after his kind words, she felt even _more_ pressure to be an amazing queen?

America chimed in, "And the first time your carefully laid foundation, everything you poured your sweat and blood and 'best' into, blows up in your face, you just come to us, baby bird. We know that feeling _very_ well. You'll think you're a failure, but the truth is, that's just part of being queen."

Those were the words that actually made Addy feel better. She smiled over at her mother, "You're wise for a young queen."

"Wise far beyond my years, right Maxon?" America said haughtily.

"Far, far." Maxon agreed hurriedly.

"OW!" All eyes in the room fell on Lief, who had accidentally smashed his own fingers in one of his car crashes.

America's fingers tightened on the sofa. She and Maxon worked really hard not to run to their children every time they were hurt by something small. This way, their kids could learn how to survive a bruise or sting without being smothered by kisses from Mommy and rocked soothingly in Daddy's arms. It taught the children that they were strong, and could survive life's minor bumps on their own.

However, none of this stopped America and Maxon from _wanting_ to smother their children with kisses or rock them soothingly in their arms whenever their little ones were hurt.

"What happened, Lief?" Maxon called over.

Lief grunted in pain and held up his hand, "My fingers…"

"Any blood?" Maxon continued.

Lief shook his head, still reeling.

"You're going to be alright." Maxon said confidently. He wanted Lief to be confident about that, too.

Lief blew air onto his sore fingers as if they were burned.

"Hey, Lief!" Jameson swooped in with a distraction to take the little guy's mind off the pain. "Will you come be on my team? I need help beating Maisy."

Lief nodded, always eager to play with his big brother. With his 'good' hand, he gathered up his toy cars and dropped them in their bucket, then joined Maisy and Jamesy by crawling into Jameson's lap and snuggling in.

Maxon and America shared a smile at the sight of their sons.

Jameson had desperately wanted a brother when Maisy was born, and after Maisy they didn't think they'd get any more siblings, so Jameson thought he'd never have the brother he'd wanted.

He'd hardly dared to get his hopes up throughout America's eventual next pregnancy, but Jameson cried like a baby in the hospital room when Maxon brought them in and introduced them to Lief. Jamesy cradled and cradled his little brother until Maxon had to intervene so that Addy and Maisy could have a turn bonding with the baby. The doting really hadn't stopped since then. Sometimes they fought, and sometimes Lief annoyed Jameson to no end, but at the end of the day, Jameson and Lief adored each other.

"I need pictures." Maxon declared, rising up from the sofa and stretching, then hurrying into his bedroom for his camera collection.

"Addy!" Maisy called. "Help me! If Jamesy gets a teammate, so do I."

Addy giggled and turned to her mother, "Duty calls."

America nodded her amused understanding as Addy slid off the sofa and onto the floor, the crawled over to Maisy's side of the board. "You're going down, boys." Addy pretended to taunt.

"No!" Lief exclaimed in a fit of giggles. "You are!"

"That's right, girls, you're going to lose." Jamesy added.

Rosie stumbled into the room wearing a pair of America's heels and Maisy's soccer jersey, which hit Rosie at her knees. "Rosie, join us!" Addy called. "We need a teammate!"

"No Rosie, over here!" Jameson called. "We want you for our team!"

Rosie blushed at the attention from the big kids. " _Me?_ " She couldn't believe they were fighting over a little kid like her.

"Girls against boys!" Maisy declared. "Come on, Rosebud."

"No! Winners against losers." Jameson declared, clearly insinuating that Addy and Maisy would be the losers.

Addy laughed, but Rosie covered her eyes. "I can't pick!" she lamented. "I love you both!"

Jameson and Addy shared a laugh at that, "It's okay, Buddy." Addy said, opening her arms wide. "Come sit in my lap and you can help me, alright?"

"Yeah, go on." Jameson encouraged.

Rosie stepped out of the large heels and climbed into Addy's lap. "I still hope everyone wins, though." Rosie clarified.

There was a gasp from the doorway. "Look at this!" Maxon was back, camera around his neck and another in his hands. "I left the room for a few seconds, and you somehow got _cuter_?"

Maisy rolled her eyes, "Just take the picture, Dad."

"Oh, I will." Maxon reassured her. "I will be taking lots of pictures. Ames, do you see this? Do you see _all_ of our children playing happily _together_?"

"I see." America smiled.

"Look at our daughters!" Maxon melodramatically cried. "Look at our sons!"

"Look at your daughters defeating your sons." Addy added, rolling the dice.

It was a noisy game, lots of advice coming from Lief and Rosie, lots of taunting back and forth, and America and Maxon joined in as advisers once Maxon had his fill of photographs. In the end, the game had to be abandoned before it was finished because their family hour was over, so both sides were able to walk away confident that they would have claimed victory eventually. There was even a promise of a rematch, though such a promise made Addy's heart quiver.

All summer long, it had been easy to pretend that September was never coming, and not to worry about the new, strange world she would be living in for the next two years. She'd had months of delaying her anxiety because, after all, she wouldn't be leaving the Palace until after her father's birthday. That event, the biggest event of the summer, had been a buffer in her mind. But now it was here, and suddenly Addy only had a week before moving day.

It would probably be two years before her whole family would be able to gather together and play through an entire board game as a family again, if ever. And it was all Addy's fault for leaving.

"Birdy? Are you okay?" America asked. Addy had spaced out on their walk to the Great Room.

"Fine, Mom." Addy gulped and straightened her shoulders, hiding behind her princess facade. "Let's check on Aunt Silvia and see if she needs help."

America wrapped an arm around Addy's shoulder and squeezed. "That's my girl."


	8. Chapter 7

The night before Addy moved to university, the kitchens prepared her very favorite meal as a going away present. There was a small mountain of freshly made pasta with extra creamy Alfredo sauce, grilled chicken and veggies, topped with what might possibly have been a whole block of parmesan cheese for the dairy-obsessed princess of Illéa and her family to share. This was not even to mention the hot apple pie dolloped with freshly churned cinnamon french vanilla bean ice cream for dessert.

Addy honestly wasn't sure if it was healthy to be so excited for food. It really wasn't often that mature, responsible Addy was as eager for anything as bright-eyed little Rosie, but that night Addy and Rosie squirmed with equal anticipation as the serving plates were passed around.

Since it was going to be her last chance to enjoy a quiet family dinner for a while, Addy had requested that the special farewell dinner be consumed in the family room rather than have a big, royal Palace send-off. This meant no servants to help contain the mess, but also no witnesses to judge how much pasta and pie was consumed between America and Adrienne alone, not to mention the rest of the Schreaves.

In spite of it all, Addy had sort of hoped for some little fight or squabble to break out between any of her siblings over the meal. She wanted someone to annoy her, or have to be punished by their parents, or maybe throw a tantrum of some kind. It would make it easier to leave all of this behind if there was a reminder that it wasn't always perfect.

What she got instead was a storybook dream of a family dinner.

They shared inside jokes at the expense of Maxon or America ("At least Mom didn't _lose the baby!"_ and "Dad, _has Russia sent over those dancers yet?"_ both received raucous laughter from the whole table), there was a long discussion about a new movie that, surprisingly enough, the whole family wanted to see for one reason or another (A favorite actor, an intelligent script, an exciting trailer, and popcorn were all listed as incentives by various Schreaves), and to cap it all off, Rosie and Lief broke into a silly little dance routine they'd made up during their play time earlier that day.

Adrienne knew that they'd have another family dinner together someday, maybe even someday soon, it was just that she didn't have a clue when it would actually happen. She wasn't used to that kind of uncertainty in her life, and it was scary.

Addy would be doing four years of university studies in half the usual time, all the while balancing her responsibilities as the heir to the throne. Maxon and America were working furiously to fix as much as they could as King and Queen at the end of their reign so that Addy would inherit the best possible country, all the while raising their other four children and trying to be positive presences in the lives of their niece and nephews. By the time Addy moved back into the Palace to finish training with her father, Jameson would be sixteen, the same age as Addy now. It would be time for him to start thinking about his own future and making plans to leave the Palace. Maybe he'd already be taking steps by accepting internships on the other side of the country or even the other side of the world...

One thing was blatantly obvious to Addy that night. Their time as one Schreave family unit was coming to an end, and if it wasn't for Addy's selfish desire to run off to university, they'd have had another two years of family dinners just like this one.

Addy tried to drown her sadness, guilt, and frustration in pie, but it didn't work very well.

After family time, Maxon had to settle some last minute security details for the royal family's early departure to the university campus the next morning. Aunt Kenna helped Lief and Rosie through their bath time and into bed while America and her head maid, Talia, talked through what was in the day bags for tomorrow's trip, making sure nothing was going to be forgotten (Maxon would have his camera, there would be snacks and an emergency change of clothes for the little kids, there was some light reading homework assigned by Miss Alvaraz for Maisy and Jamesy, and travel-friendly makeup for touchups after the two hour car ride).

When America was positive that absolutely everything was ready for the next day, she arrived to tuck Lief and Rosie in with a bedtime story and some snuggles.

Then, for the first time in a very long time, she came to tuck Addy in, too.

"Are you nervous?" America asked, sliding under the covers next to her daughter.

Addy sank lower on the mattress and tucked herself into the crook of her mother's arm. "Yes."

"That's normal." America reassured her.

"I don't want to leave anymore." Addy confessed. "I hate the idea of not sleeping in this bed tomorrow night."

"It will get easier." America promised. "I felt the same way before I left my home for your father's Selection."

"You didn't have any choice."Addy shook her head sympathetically.

"Of course I had a choice." America objected. "No one held a gun to my head and made me enter the competition."

"You always said you didn't even want to enter Dad's Selection, though." Addy said, confused.

"Not at first, not for your dad. I made a deal with Grandma. She agreed to let me start keeping a little bit of the money I was earning as a musician if I agreed to submit myself for the Selection. I never expected to be Selected, and it kept her from snapping at me every time I walked into the room." America paused, clearly lost in the memory, searching her mind for how to explain what came next. "When I was chosen, I thought the paycheck my family would receive would keep us fed and clothed for years. I just wanted to make it last as long as I could. I could have left the Palace on day one to go back home, and I know your father would have let me go, but I had enough reasons to stay that, no matter how much I missed my own bed or your Aunt May and Uncle Gerad, or your Grandma Magda and Grandpa Shalom, I toughed it out. It was always my choice, Bird. I could have refused or left at any point. And so can you."

Addy closed her eyes tightly, "I can't back out now. What would people say?"

"We could spin it however we wanted, honey." America reminded her. "We could say you want to focus on training with your father, that you would like to continue studying with your world-class tutor, that you want to devote more time to philanthropic works. None of that would be a _lie_."

"People wouldn't call me a quitter?" Addy wondered.

"They might." America shrugged.

"They'd be right." Addy pointed out. "I don't want them to be right."

America kissed the top of her head, "I'm going to miss seeing you everyday, my sweet baby bird. But let's pretend we decided, right here and now, to back out. Call the whole University endeavor off. How would you feel?"

"To be staying home with my family?" Addy asked. "Relieved."

"Even though Meri and Kile will both be at university without you?"

"...Relieved." Addy confirmed. "But also... disappointed. Disappointed in myself for being too scared to try, and disappointed that I won't get to do all of things I've been looking forward to doing."

"Like what?" America asked, smiling. "What things?"

"Umm..." Addy grinned, "Kile was telling me that there's a pizza shop on campus that has a student night. Everything is half off, and everyone goes there with their friends to have fun and relax. And there's a whole floor of the library that's completely devoted to fairy tales and the study of fairy tales. And, Mom, one of my professors literally invented a kind of diplomatic analysis, the Dearwood technique. It's named for her. She's _the_ Professor Dearwood, and I'll be learning International Politics from her."

"Sweetheart, that sounds wonderful." America smiled. "Once in a lifetime."

"Yeah." Addy admitted. "I just wish... I wish you could all go with me..."

America grinned and hugged her tightly. "We love you and we'll miss you so much, but this isn't forever. Try to enjoy it while it lasts, okay? The Palace isn't going anywhere, we'll still be here in two years when you're done."

Addy heaved a huge sigh and closed her eyes, "Okay. I'll do my best."

"Oh, baby." America kissed her head again. "I know you will. You always do."

They stayed there like that for a long time. Addy wasn't starved for attention from America, they frequently got time together between working on different Palace events or sitting out some of the wilder games that might be played during family time. But this kind of silent, peaceful time with just the two of them, and no responsibilities or siblings, was incredibly rare. Addy wasn't going to be the first one to move.

They stayed like that for a long time. Addy could hear her mother's heartbeat, could smell a faint, lingering whiff of her perfume, and relaxed into her warm arms. She'd been expecting a sleepless night tonight, laying awake as she worried about leaving home the next morning, worried about forgetting something important or the relative risk of having all of the Schreaves out of the Palace at once, but she could feel herself drifting off to sleep now to the peaceful rhythm of America's breathing.

They were disturbed from their silence by a creak at the door, and then two figures silhouetted in the hallway light. "Addy?"

It was Rosie, with Wilberforth right at her side.

"What are you doing up, baby?" America asked.

"Mommy?" Rosie squinted into the darkness of the room, surprised to be caught out of bed by her mother.

"Come in, Rosebud." Addy held a hand out to her. Rosie closed the door behind her and padded over to Addy's unoccupied side. She climbed up and snuggled in with no trouble.

As a puppy, Wilberforth had bounded from floor to bed and back again with endless ease and energy, but in his old age it took him a moment to work up the energy to leap onto the foot of Addy's bed. He made it (just barely) and took a moment to lick Rosie, then nuzzle Addy, then sigh heavily in America's direction before curling up at their feet and settling in.

"I couldn't sleep." Rosie confessed.

"Me neither." Addy said.

"Really?" Rosie was surprised.

"Tomorrow is the start of a big adventure." Addy pointed out. "I don't know yet if it's going to be a good adventure or a bad adventure."

Rosie sniffled and curled in closer.

America chimed in, "We're as ready as we can be for the big move tomorrow. There's no more use worrying about anything tonight. Tonight is for resting up, okay girls?"

"Okay." Addy and Rosie said at the same time.

"Now, think about something nice."

There was silence for a moment and then Rosie mumbled, "Playground…"

America reached over with the arm that wasn't around Addy and began stroking gentle patterns on Rosie's back. "Keep thinking your nice thoughts..." America coached.

America's warmth, Rosie's baby snores, and Wilberforth's soft fur at Addy's toes were all the nice thoughts she needed to drift off into a deep sleep.

At some point, she felt the hallway light on her face again, and heard a contented sigh. Addy pried a heavy eyelid open to find her dad abandoning his jacket, belt, and tie at Addy's makeup table. He held a finger to his lips, and Addy knew that her mother and baby sister were fast asleep.

Addy's bed was very big for one person, but she was grateful for the size that night. There was plenty of room for Maxon at America's other side, and he wrapped an arm around his wife's middle, burying his nose in her hair and closing his tired eyes. He reached over and gently stroked Addy's cheek with his thumb, then let that hand fall back to America's waist.

He was asleep before Addy finished drifting back off.

* * *

Gavril Fadaye performed a minor miracle.

In exchange for regular updates about Addy's life as a student, including occasional photo opportunities, the journalists and paparazzi of Illéa had unanimously agreed to give Addy unprecedented privacy for her time at university. In short, they agreed to stay completely off of the campus.

It was an effort that never would have succeeded without the help and influence of Rolph Lemex at Gavril's side. The two former adversaries had stood together on Adrienne's behalf, and between the two of them, they'd promoted the idea that it was in the country's best interest to let Addy focus on learning and growing in her time on Kings University's campus, and that to help her, the media should leave her alone and allow her plenty of personal space.

"I hope you're planning to ascend soon." Gavril had mopped his brow with a handkerchief as the meeting in which he'd told Addy about the conditions of her media privacy ended, "Because I officially used every last favor I was owed to get all of the press onboard with this. I might as well retire."

"You would deserve it, Dabby." Addy had smiled. "I'm sending you and Aunt Silvia on the vacation of a lifetime after my coronation, and you won't be paying for a dollar of it."

Gavril had grinned at her and squeezed her hand. "Enjoy university, Princess. Promise me you won't shy away from mistakes, alright? They're half of the learning experience."

Addy narrowed her eyebrows suspiciously at the idea, but agreed that she'd try to mess up a little, just for him.

* * *

As the bulletproof royal motorcade drove away, Adrienne craned her head around to watch her home, gleaming in the early morning sunlight, until finally the golden gates were nothing more than a sparkling speck in the distance. Aunt Kenna and Uncle James sat with Astra, facing America, Addy, and Maisy. The excitement that everyone in the car was feeling for the day to come was palpable, but America noticed the quick flicker of sadness that crossed Addy's face as she righted herself in her seat, no longer able to see home. She squeezed her oldest daughter's hand with an encouraging smile that Addy immediately mimicked, and after a moment the feeling behind Addy's smile was genuine. The thrill was back.

In another car that had left fifteen minutes before Addy's, Maxon, Jameson, Lief, Rosie, Aunt May, and Uncle Gerad rode together. Addy's personal guards had been stationed on campus for a week now putting the finishing touches on their security protocols, running drills in the new environment, and moving into their own rooms. Still, Maxon had insisted on being in the first group to arrive on campus so that he could 'inspect' the place himself. And since, when the royal family was all out together, the guards liked to keep them separated to preserve the line of succession in case of catastrophic disaster, the King and his heir were in separate cars.

None of this was even to mention the car that would leave fifteen minutes after Addy's, and which contained Silvia, Grandma Magda, Leo and his twin Rogan, and Miss Mary. All of these eager people in all three cars, in addition to the security that would be patrolling to keep the roads clear and safe between the Palace and the University campus, led Addy to wonder if anyone was even left in the Palace to run the country. If France had a problem that they needed Illéan counsel on, would the telephone in her dad's office just keep ringing all day?

The Woodworks and Legers were already on campus, helping to move Kile and Meri in for the year. They'd all be by Addy's dormitory for lunch, though, which was causing Astra to look a little queasy as she stared out the window with glazed eyes. Today she was _finally_ being forced to face Kile after a full summer spent avoiding him.

They were surrounded by parents, so Addy just tapped Astra's ankle gently with her foot and said, "It won't be as bad as you're thinking." And left it at that.

Uncle James jumped in, "Oh, I'm sure the dormitory is going to be great!"

Uncle James tended to be in denial about all things related to Astra's love life, so he was perfectly happy to delude himself into thinking that they were worried about Addy's new living arrangements.

He continued cheerfully, "I'm sure Addy's room will be a little smaller than we're used to, and the food might be a little blander, but it'll be a cozy adventure, won't it, Bird?" he grinned.

Addy smiled affectionately at her uncle's total cluelessness. "Yes. An adventure." She said to Astra, pointedly. Astra and Kile in the same room together for the first time in two years certainly would be an adventure.

Aunt Kenna seemed to be slightly more aware than her husband, and took advantage of the heavy silence to change the subject and give her daughter a break, "So Addy, tell me about the classes you're hoping to enroll in."

Addy's whole face lit up, "Well, it depends on what I place out of when I take my entrance exams this Friday. If I place out of two levels of math, then I can take an economics course with both Micro _and_ Macroeconomics covered, and I know I wouldn't get as much detail out of that class, but it would be interesting to look at them side-by-side and see patterns and similarities between them. The contrast would be really helpful in understanding real-world implications, too, you know? But if I don't place out of two levels, then I'll have to take Micro and Macroeconomics separately, which means I won't have time in my course schedule for game theory. I think I've got to try to squeeze game theory in, one way or another, before I graduate because learning mathematical models for how people make decisions could really help me once I'm Queen, and I'm trying to predict how other countries will react to my choices here in Illéa—"

Addy went on like that, seemingly talking without drawing breath, egged on by her Aunt Kenna and Uncle James sporadically asking her more detailed questions and then grinning affectionately at her as she blabbered on and on, happily. The talking helped quell the nervous butterflies in her stomach, but did nothing to stop the tingle of excitement Addy was feeling as they got closer and closer to campus.

Finally, she had to take a break from all of the jittery extemporizing to sip on some water and rest her voice. She'd nearly talked herself hoarse. America and Kenna took over the conversation for the rest of the trip as the scenery around them grew more forested and rural, finally giving way to a sprawling gated clearing with the crest of Kings University wrought in iron on the open doors.

She'd known that it would be big, but she hadn't realized that it would be _so_ big that she couldn't even take it all in at the same time. She'd expected something possibly the size of the Palace grounds. Large, spacious, but essentially all in one place and relatively compact.

As their car made its way up the main road, Addy realized that she couldn't even see all that there was on this campus. In the distance, branching off from a central, grassy park, there were giant buildings, the very smallest of which was five stories tall. They were clearly hundreds of years old, but Addy couldn't tell exactly how many hundreds by looking at them. Three hundred? _Four_ hundred?

Peppered down the roads that branched off in every direction from the main drive (Addy was already lost, and the car hadn't even taken a turn yet), there were small, plain, two story houses like the kind Uncle Aspen had described in several of the meetings leading up to Addy's big move. Each was painted a shade of green, blue, burgundy, or yellow to give the view a look of diversity when, in reality, every single little house boasted an identical floor plan and facade. Addy knew that these were student housing, and though she would have one all to herself, ordinarily these housed 8-10 students each. She also knew that somewhere closer to the large old buildings where the classes were held, there were enormous apartment-style dormitory units that would hold close to eight hundred students each. These did not offer the privacy of the little houses covering the campus, but they were cost effective, and ten or fifteen minutes closer to classes, depending on which building a student was walking to.

Addy continued peeking out the window, moving on from being overwhelmed at the sight of the student housing to being overwhelmed at the sight of the students. They were out milling around, walking down the sidewalks with their arms full of school supplies or textbooks. There were cars, old and new, rusty and freshly painted, parked in front of many of the student houses. The trunks were open, revealing pillows and bedding, posters and lamps, boxes and boxes and boxes… Addy had never seen _anything_ like it. She was peeking into the lives and personalities of hundreds of total strangers, all at once. She'd never been around so many unfamiliar people without a rope line separating her from them before. She was about to find out what she'd been missing out on all this time, and it both thrilled and terrified her. She'd dreamed of university for years now, but even her wildest imaginings had paled in comparison to the real thing. It was the highest of highs.

The car took several turns and then rolled to a slow stop. Addy's breath hitched in her throat. The little house they were parked in front of was relatively isolated on the end of a street. There was clearly room for two other houses on either side of it, but the university must have been waiting until enrollment was high enough to need the extra housing before they built and started maintaining what would have been empty dormitories. The result was that the sky blue house was private and secluded, but not totally cut off from the rest of campus. This had obviously been chosen especially for her by her security detail.

Usually the royal family exited their fleet in order of rank. America, as Queen, was the highest ranking in their car and would have gone out first. This time, though, everyone waited for Addy to climb out. Addy had _never_ exited a car un-photographed, unless she was on Palace grounds or at her Grandmother's house. She half-expected photographers to leap from the bushes, but Gavril's media deal was still holding strong. She was free to slouch, free stumble as she ducked out of the car, free to linger around with no rush to hurry along out of concern for her safety.

"Bird!" At the sound of her father's voice, Addy realized she'd been gaping at the trees, the open sky, even the bushes next to her little student house seemed magical. Addy turned her attention to her father, who was standing on the walkway leading to the front door with his arms open. Addy abandoned all decorum, since there were no cameras around to see anyway, and rushed into his embrace.

"I've had Weaver give me the full tour." Maxon announced, squeezing Addy close.

"How is it?"

"I think you're going to love it. And it's plenty safe, which means _I'm_ going to love it. They've just finished installing the new windows this morning. Bullet-proof glass, every inch of it, not that you'll need it—"

"Addy!" Lief was waving at the front door. "You got a bookshelf!"

"You do, indeed, have your very own bookshelf." Maxon smiled amusedly down at Addy. "Your younger siblings have been touring your new home, making sure it meets their exacting standards."

"What does Rosie think?" Addy giggled.

"Undecided. It has no playground, you see." Maxon reported seriously.

"Oh, dear me." Addy laughed.

"Come on, Addy!" Lief motioned for her to follow him.

By now, Maisy and America were at Maxon's and Addy's sides.

"Love." Maxon greeted with a warm smile, pecking America on the lips. "Mais, how was the ride?"

"Fine." Maisy shrugged. "Kinda long." None of the Schreave kids had ever ridden in a car for more than an hour. It was usually easier to secure a plane for that distance than to clear such a long stretch of road. However, Addy would be going back and forth from the campus to the Palace so frequently, it was much less expensive to make an exception for her journeys. Today had been a rather important first run of the new security protocols.

"Addy!" Lief called again, losing patience with his slowpoke big sister.

"It appears Lief wants to give you a tour." Maxon released Addy and wrapped an arm around America. "After that, _I_ shall give you a tour of some of the security features. And then, expect one from Weaver covering anything I've forgotten."

"Well, at least I'll know the place up and down."

"And the President of the University should be here by 11:00 to give us a tour of the campus."

"The… Daddy, the _President_?" Addy was surprised and a little disappointed. The President, on one of the busiest days of the school year, was stopping by to give Addy a personal tour? This reeked of royal privilege.

"It's standard for new students to receive a tour of the University." Maxon reassured her.

"Sure, but from the _President_?"

"No, that part _is_ because of your status." Maxon confessed, somewhat abashedly. "It wasn't feasible to group us with one of the standard upperclassmen-led tours. We'd have distracted those poor students and their families from the whole experience."

Addy nodded, not wanting the special attention but knowing that it was necessary. "It'll be fine. It'll be good, even. This way I won't be too shy to ask questions."

"Indeed." Maxon's face lit up at her positive outlook, "And after lunch—"

"ADDY!" Lief ran over and grabbed her hand. "Come _on_!"

"Lief, we do _not_ scream when we are not getting our way." Maxon scolded. "Addy has heard you, and she'll be with you in a moment."

Lief sighed heavily, clearly frustrated. "Sorry, Dad."

Maxon nodded, but he looked chastised, too. "I'm monopolizing your time. I apologize, Adrienne. Go inside, see your house." he urged.

Addy grinned, still gripped by Lief's little hand, and leant up, pecking Maxon on the cheek. "Thank you for being as excited about this as I am."

Maxon grinned, "I'm rather jealous, I have to confess! This campus looks amazing and—"

Lief began dragging Addy away before Maxon could keep her any longer. Patience was not Lief's virtue when he was still hyped up on the orange juice from breakfast.

"Do you like the color?" Lief paused on the tiny covered porch, really just enough to protect someone from rain if they were fishing for keys to open the front door. Addy finally took a moment to truly absorb the front of her house. Sky blue, like her mother's signature color. Bright white front door and accents across the big, square window to the right of the door, not to mention the bannister encompassing the side of the porch. She could hang planters there and grow a few flowers from the gardens of the Palace if she started to miss home. She could secure a bike there to help her get to classes faster. It was _hers_.

"It's so beautiful, Lief." she earnestly replied.

"We picked it." Lief rubbed his free hand through his red hair, bashful.

"Who did?"

"Me and Rosie, plus Jamesy and Maisy helped a little."

"How?" Addy couldn't quite understand what Lief was trying to tell her.

"Daddy and Uncle Aspen couldn't pick from some houses." Lief replied. "There was a green one on another street, and, um, a red one somewhere else, I think…"

Addy nodded, filling in the gaps for herself. All of these student houses were the same floor plan, and likely all of the streets of student houses were set up the same way, meaning there was a secluded house, with extra privacy, at the end of every student housing street. Some of them were probably painted the other uniform colors Addy had seen on her way in. A green one and a red one, like Lief was trying to explain.

"So, Daddy asked us what would be your favorite one." Lief concluded. "We promised him blue."

"You did great, Lief."

Lief grinned widely at her praise, "You like it?"

"I _love_ it, and every time I walk home and see the color, I will think of you, Jamesy, Maisy, and Rosie."

"That will be a lot." Lief laughed at the thought.

"All the time." Addy promised him. "I'll think about you all the time."

"Come inside." Lief let go of Addy's hand and pushed her from behind through the threshold of the front door.

It was difficult, with her eyes adjusting to the dim indoors, to see what was downstairs. It appeared to be lived-in already, with items on the shelves and dishes in the sink. Addy knew that her personal security detail had the downstairs suite to themselves, but it was strange to be peeking into their common room.

"Up, up…" Lief encouraged her. There was a well-worn wooden staircase several paces in front of the front door. It obstructed some of the view of the downstairs common area to allow the ground floor occupants more privacy, and it lead up to the upstairs suite, the one Addy would have all to herself.

At the top of the steps, Rosie was waving them up. "Addy, you have so many _beds_." Rosie said, eagerly. "One is for me, for visiting, okay?"

"Okay." Addy laughed. "Pick which one you want, and that will be your special bed."

Rosie squealed happily, but she didn't run off to choose her new bed. Instead, she waited for Addy to arrive at the second floor landing before leaping into her arms.

As Addy situated Rosie on her hip, she looked all around her new home. It was identical to the first floor, except the staircase led down instead of up and there was no front door. To her right there was a small kitchen featuring an off-white refrigerator with a freezer occupying the top 1/4th of the unit.

There was a stainless steel plated rectangular sink set into the countertop to the right of the refrigerator, a ventilation hood over it to suck heat and smoke out of the building. Next to that was Addy's stovetop oven. All of the stoves in the Palace kitchens had at least six burners each, and were top-of-the-line culinary machines. Though this stovetop oven was clean, it was probably as old as Maxon and had never been top-of-the-line, even when it was new. But Addy didn't care about that. So long as it managed to heat up her food, she'd be fine. _More_ than fine. She loved her little old oven.

She could imagine that the cabinets, both overhead and below the handful of countertops, would struggle to hold four or five student's worth of groceries, especially given that there was no pantry in the little kitchen, but Addy couldn't imagine using up so much storage space by herself. And the four person dining table in the open space in front of the kitchen was positively luxurious, considering that she'd probably be eating alone most of the time that she made use of her kitchen here.

"There's _three_ bedrooms, Addy. Which one do you want?" Lief asked, clearly impressed by the living arrangements. Though Addy's bedroom at the Palace was big enough to engulf the whole second floor of this house, there was only one of it. Lief knew enough to know that three was a lot more than one, when it came to bedrooms.

"I don't know yet. Show them to me, and I'll pick one."

"There's enough room that we can live here." Rosie suggested. "Even Mommy and Daddy, they can just tell everyone that… um, to do all their work here instead of the Palace… and everyone will do it because, um, Mommy and Daddy are the King and Queen."

"But Rosebud, I thought there wasn't a playground here." Addy reminded her, following Lief toward the first bedroom, the door to which was wide open and situated just beyond the dining table.

"No, but there's you!" Rosie reminded her.

Addy grinned and pressed a kiss to her baby sister's puffy cheek. "I love you, Buddy."

Rosie kicked her legs happily, her left foot tapping gently against Addy's knee.

"This one is good." Lief announced, showing her the first bedroom. It boasted two twin sized beds, two standard student desks, each with drawer space down the right side and a shelf overhead for more storage. There were two identical dresser drawers along one wall, and two tall bookshelves along the other. Addy supposed the students probably rearranged the furniture to reflect their individual tastes once their roommates arrived. In the corner next to the door, Addy found a shallow closet with one rod hanging overhead and a shelf above. It was humbling to think that two students usually shared this space, considering the whole room was smaller than Addy's closet. Though, to be fair, Addy had to cycle through outfits fairly often, both to stay on trend, and to generate plenty of items to donate and auction for various causes, a practice taught to her by her mother. The average university student probably didn't need as many ballgowns as Addy had to have, either.

"There's more." Lief promised.

"Well, let's go see it then." Addy smiled.

Lief led the way, taking a moment to point to an open area between the bedroom they'd just left and the bedroom they were headed toward. This space boasted a window looking out into the foliage behind the house, as well as two small sofas along the wall. Neither were long enough to lay down and stretch out on, and they looked nothing like the soft, supple sofas of the Palace, but they'd probably be firm and supportive for Addy's back during long study sessions.

"Family room." Lief supposed. He was right. It was the common area between bedrooms, just like in their parents' suite at the Palace. The only words he had to describe this were 'family room', though Addy had another one from her sleepovers at Meri Leger's house. Over there, they called such a space a 'living room', and that was really much more accurate for what this was, since it would only be Addy living here and there wouldn't be any 'family' involved.

Still, she nodded at her little brother. "Smaller than our family room, huh?"

"Yeah, but you don't have to go all the way down for the kitchens." Lief reminded her. "You can just make macaroni and cheese right here." he pointed over to the stovetop oven, not twenty feet away from them.

"That's true." Addy grinned, surprised at how cheerful his outlook made her feel.

"Even with eating no vegetables." Lief whispered, eyes growing wide with the magnitude of the implications therein. Macaroni and cheese without vegetables, anytime she wanted. He probably thought this place was heaven.

"Even after bedtime." Addy added, giggling when her brother gasped at the thought.

"What will your bedtime be?" Rosie asked, suddenly worried.

"What do you mean?" Addy asked.

"You won't have Mommy or Daddy to tuck you in. What will your bedtime be?"

Addy struggled to decode what Rosie was really worried about. In Rosie's world, she only knew it was time for bed when family time was over, bath was over, and Mommy, Daddy, or Aunt Kenna had read her a bedtime story. Without family time, someone to tell her when it was bath time, and without a grownup to tuck her in at night, Rosie was worried that Addy would never know when to sleep.

"Well, I guess I get to decide for myself, Bud."

"No bedtime!" Lief cheered.

"Oh, but I don't want to be too tired and grumpy in the mornings." Addy reminded him.

"Midnight." Lief advised, after careful consideration. Lief hadn't seen many 'midnights' in his time, but he knew it as a magical, very late hour that grownups got to see and kids had to sleep through.

"Maybe." Addy laughed.

They continued on to the next bedroom, a mirror image of the first room they'd toured.

"This can be my room." Rosie whispered.

"Do you like it?" Addy asked.

"Yes, there's the bed for me." Rosie pointed to one of the bare twin beds.

"Well, that's settled then. Rosie, this is your room, whenever you come and visit me you can sleep on that bed."

"Okay." Rosie grinned happily.

Lief completed the tour by showing Addy the bathroom (about the size of a Palace linen closet), as well as the final bedroom, this one meant to be a single for a student willing to pay a little more for the privacy of their own living quarters. It was smaller than the others, boasted only one set of furniture, and the student still had to share a bathroom with the rest of their floor-mates, but Addy could see the appeal of having a private place to recover after a long day of classes. She shuddered, imagining herself as a normal student paired with a roommate who snored loudly every single night. She definitely understood those who payed extra for a single.

"There you are!" Maxon's voice called from behind them.

"Hi, Daddy." Lief galloped over and squeezed Maxon's leg tightly.

"Lief was just wrapping up the grand tour." Addy smiled, letting her wiggling little sister free to greet Astra, standing just behind Maxon. Everyone was headed upstairs to see Addy's new living quarters, it seemed.

"Astra!" Rosie held her arms up expectantly, and Astra eagerly swept her up into a hug. "Wanna see my room?" Rosie enticed.

Astra glanced at Addy, amused and confused.

"Yes, Rosie has her own room and she's already picked out a bed so she'll have a great place to take naps whenever she comes to visit me." Addy explained.

"I'd love to see it. Why don't you and Addy show me?" Astra suggested with a significant glance toward Addy. Astra clearly wanted to talk about something with Addy, and figured this was a good chance.

"Daddy, do you need me for anything?" Addy checked.

"Not yet." Maxon smiled. "The rest of your boxes aren't quite here yet, so you just take a little bit of time and get to know the place." Behind them, America and Kenna laughed, beckoning Maxon to join the conversation. He winked at Addy and then joined America in the adult conversation, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist from behind and pressing a kiss to her ear.

"This way." Rosie pointed.

Astra tickled Rosie's tummy and set her down on the floor so that she could lead the way.

"What's up?" Addy asked under her breath as she and Astra stepped into the empty double bedroom that Rosie had fallen in love with.

"I made that phone call we talked about. You know, to Prince Fun's brother?" Astra used the new euphemism for Lucas, just in case Rosie decided to innocently repeat the conversation Addy and Astra were having to anyone else.

"Are you two okay, then?" Addy asked, eyebrows raised.

"We are. Things are still a little stiff between us, kind of formal… but hey, we're talking again, right?"

"I'm so glad." Addy nodded. "That's a big step in the right direction."

"Astra! Look!" Rosie pointed out the window to the trees behind the house. "That's a magic forrest for us." she giggled.

Astra grinned and attacked Rosie's cheek with kisses, causing Rosie to laugh uncontrollably. "That's a great magic forrest, Bud. I'll bet it's full of fairies that will protect Addy while she's here."

"Protect her from thunder?" Rosie asked eagerly.

"Sure!" Astra nodded. "Addy will always be safe here, thanks to that magic forrest. Maybe they'll even help her get good grades at school."

"Ooh, yes, I think they will like that." Rosie nodded significantly.

"So, um, _Fun_ was a little shaken after his birthday party."

"Was he?" Addy asked, disappointed. She'd hoped Lucas would have laughed about it in the clear light of the following morning.

"My… ex-boyfriend mentioned that they had a quick discussion, and Lu… I mean… _Fun_ seems to be on the same page you're on. He doesn't want to make a mistake and lose you."

"He's not mad?"

" _Mad_? Why would he be mad?"

"I kind of rejected him…"

"So?" Astra crinkled her eyebrows. "It's not like you stole something from him or denied him something that belonged to him. You just weren't interested in…" Astra glanced at Rosie, "Having any Fun."

Addy flushed furiously at Astra's choice of words. "Isn't that the kind of thing that makes men mad?"

Astra pulled Addy in for a quick hug, "It's not _supposed_ to. If they're seeing us as human beings and not objects, then our disinterest shouldn't be angering because they should know that we don't exist in this world just to be owned by them."

"Oh."

Astra kissed Addy's temple.

Rosie tugged Addy's shirt to get her attention, "Um, Addy?"

"Yeah, Buddy?"

"Did Mommy bring snacks?"

"Yes. You and Lief should go get some ants on a log from her."

"Really? Ants on a log?" Rosie was pleasantly surprised by the presence of one of her favorite snacks. Like she hadn't been expecting such fine dining in this establishment.

"What did you expect?" Addy giggled at her sister's bright expression.

Rosie shrugged and headed off to find Lief and enjoy a midmorning snack.

Alone now, Astra said, "I think you and Luke are fine. Just be aware that he has a little crush on you, but has no desire to act on it."

"Be aware? What does that mean?"

"You're having a Selection, right? When you're done with school?"

"Yeah, that was the deal." Addy had barely thought about it since agreeing to it. She'd been so excited for university, her Selection had been the farthest thing from her mind.

"Just know that it'll be hard on him to see you dating and marrying."

"What can I do about that?" Addy shook her head.

"I don't know, be extra gentle with him for a while, I guess. Give him space or whatever he needs, and trust him to put his feelings aside, find someone else, and re-learn how to be your friend. Hopefully he can figure it all out _before_ your Selection, that would definitely be easier for the both of you."

Addy felt her eyes sting with tears of frustration, "He's one of my oldest friends, I grew up with him. I love him so much, Astra, I don't want to have to re-learn how to be his friend. I just want things to stay the same. That was the whole point of not… flirting, or whatever on his birthday. So we could still be friends."

Astra narrowed her eyes, "But you didn't want to flirt with him, right?"

"I don't know. I mean, I guess I kind of did, but not so much that I'd be willing to throw Illéa's relationship with England into the garbage for it."

Astra made a face, "Bird, what are you doing bringing politics into this?"

"Politics is in everything that I do, Astra, I'm the heir to the Illéan throne. Everything I do, _everything_ , has political implications. Flirting with the younger Prince of England would be no different."

Astra slumped onto Rosie's chosen bed with a heavy sigh, collapsing back to stare at the beige ceiling. "This is a mess."

"Yeah." Addy joined her, squeezing onto the bare twin mattress.

"But they're not mad at us, and they still want to be friends." Astra said, reminding Addy of the good news.

Addy giggled, "What would you do if you could call a 'time out', and our actions not have any consequences at all?"

Astra laughed, "I'd eat a whole tray of brownies and not have to worry about throwing up. You?"

Addy closed her eyes and squeezed her cousin's hand, "I don't know. Maybe I'd kiss Lucas, just to see what it's like."

Astra turned her head, her face right next to Addy's. "You know if I could undo what I did with Andrew to give you a little more freedom when it comes to Luke, I'd do it, right?"

"Oh, Astra." Addy blinked open her eyes. "This isn't your fault."

"I know. I wish I could do more to help, though."

Addy wrinkled her nose, "Boys are dumb."

Astra laughed, "Yeah."

"At least we have each other."

"Forever." Astra promised.

"Cousin-Sisters for life?" Addy said, initiating the silly secret handshake they'd made up as kids almost ten years before. They clapped the sides of each other's right hands, palm to back-hand, then other palm to other back-hand, then high-fived in the middle.

"Cousin-Sisters for life." Astra finished the ritual, then craned her neck over to give Addy a kiss on the cheek.

"Good. Then we don't need any boys, anyway." Addy pouted.

"Yeah." Astra said with obvious forlornness. They could say those words all they wanted, but neither of them really believed it.


	9. Chapter 8

There was a little bit of chaos later that morning. The truck that was supposed to be carrying Addy's belongings arrived, but inside it was filled to the brim with fancy antique Palace furniture.

"Mom? What is this? This isn't what we packed up yesterday…" Addy asked America, who was looking at the contents of the truck with equal confusion.

Silvia quickly made her way to the front of the royal gawkers standing before the amalgamation of furniture, and everything was made clear. "Right this way, gentlemen." She chirped at the footmen exiting the cab of the vehicle. "Briskly." she encouraged.

"Aunt Silvia, what is all of this?" Addy asked, trying not to sound impatient.

"The _necessities_ , Princess." Silvia assured her.

"Where are my clothes? Where are my books?" Surely her Aunt Silvia couldn't believe that Addy would need an antique chaise lounge more than she'd need clothes to wear and books to help her study? What was she expecting Addy to do at university, sit naked on a stiff old couch all day?

"Not to worry, darling, it's all in there." Silvia said patiently. "And we'll have more of your wardrobe sent over as necessary. I suspect we could turn one of those empty bedrooms into a closet with no trouble at all—"

Maxon and America each placed a hand on Addy's shoulder, ready to help. Maxon even interceded, "Silvia, this is all wonderful, thank you so much for arranging this—"

"Oh, it was no problem at all, your Majesty." Silvia blushed, inadvertently cutting him off before he could get to the 'but we don't want any of it' part of his sentence. "I know the three of you have been terribly busy these last few weeks, so I saw to the details myself."

"You are _so_ thoughtful, Silvia." America said. "I honestly don't know what we would do without you. The, ah, only thing is—"

"I want to use the dormitory furniture, Aunt Silvia." Addy spoke for herself.

Silvia blinked, thoroughly confused, "You want… what?" Silvia looked to Maxon and America, certain she'd misunderstood. "That _stuff_?" She lifted a manicured finger toward the house, unwilling to even use the word 'furniture' to describe the university-issued furnishings. In fact, Silvia wouldn't deign to use a proper word for it at all, she'd used 'stuff' which was, in her opinion, a hideous word suitable only for equally hideous things.

"It's part of the experience." Addy explained, hoping Silvia wouldn't be upset. "Normal students use school-issued furniture, and that's what I want to use, too.

"But Princess…" Silvia's mind was reeling. In a million years, she'd never have anticipated this turn of events, "Those _mattresses,_ that _sofa_ … Princess, the bookshelves are _particleboard_." she shuddered at the mere thought of it all. "There's cherrywood and oak in this truck, your Highness, wouldn't you rather…" but she trailed off at the blissful look on Addy's face.

"I want to be a normal student." Addy smiled at Silvia's confusion. "I don't want to be surrounded by Palace furniture here. I like the _stuff_ that's inside, I'm not used to furniture that's less than fifty years old. It's exciting."

Silvia sighed, relenting, but she made one final stand, "At least make use of a proper bed, Princess? Don't you want to be comfortable and well-rested for your studies?"

Addy beamed, "Uncle Aspen and Aunt Lucy got me a present! It's a foam topper for the dormitory mattress. They found one when they were shopping for Meri and they got one for me, too. I've squished it, it's _really_ comfortable." Silvia seemed to wither away at the news that the Princess of Illéa had 'squished' anything. "I mean, it's not _Palace_ comfortable, but it'll be great. They're bringing it by after they get Meri all settled in."

Silvia looked at the bright expression on Addy's eager face and surrendered. "I can see that you're happy." she said in a manner that suggested that she could not possibly understand _why_ Addy was so happy.

"Thank you for choosing all of this furniture for me, Aunt Silvia, I can tell you worked hard on it." Addy said in a conciliatory tone. "Um… I'll keep the lamps.

"Will you?" Silvia looked up, appeased.

"Sure." Addy smiled. "I need some lamps to read by at night."

"Well, that's something." Silvia smiled. "Perhaps I'll be able to sell you on the curtains, too. You need proper curtains, it's imperative to your privacy, you know—"

"Ah… I'll… ask the guards about it." Addy winced at her parents, who were nodding encouragingly at the compromise.

"And what about the rugs?" Silvia was already off, directing the footmen as she went. "You'll appreciate having something soft to walk on—"

Addy scratched her head, "I guess… maybe, I'll look at them. Nothing too elaborate, Aunt Silvia! I don't want it to look out of place—"

But Silvia was already off, taking care of everything for Addy (just as she always had), and Addy let her go with a sigh.

"That's right, Bird." Maxon grinned down at her. "Choose your battles wisely."

"I draw the line at 300-year-old portraits hanging from my dormitory wall." Addy pouted.

America chuckled and squeezed Addy's shoulder. "Thank you, Adrienne. You've made your Aunt Silvia a happy woman."

Addy winced as a footman emerged from the truck carrying a gaudy, gilded, antique full-length mirror. "Aunt Silvia, _not_ that!"

* * *

By the time Addy's personal belongings were off of the truck and laying in a neat stack in the middle of her upstairs apartment, and all of the Palace furniture was back on the truck and getting ready to return to the Palace _where it all belonged_ , the President of the University had arrived at Addy's doorstep.

She was close in age to Grandma Magda, but taller, with pitch-black hair and dark, tan skin that suggested a heritage from the southern provinces, like Addy's other grandmother, Amberly.

"Your Majesties." The woman's impeccably tailored pantsuit revealed her perfect execution of the curtsey. "Your Highness." She turned to Addy and offered the same flawless gesture. "Welcome to Kings University, Angeles."

"Thank you." Addy addressed her, and as such the woman had permission from the royal protocol to rise.

"My name is President Gabriela Vitoria Farmer, and it is an honor to meet you."

"The honor is ours, President Farmer." Maxon said. "We've corresponded by letter and through liaisons these last few months, but I wanted to thank you personally for your help and support this summer. You gave Adrienne's security team every single thing that they asked for, and without that, Addy wouldn't be here today."

"I'm glad we were able to work together." President Farmer replied, "Though let's not forget to give credit where credit is due, without Princess Adrienne's hard work and dedication to her education, none of this would have happened." The President turned to address Addy specifically, "Congratulations on those entrance examination scores, Princess. I know better than most that they were the culmination of years and years of work."

"Thank you." Addy tried very hard not to be self-conscious of the blush that bloomed over her cheeks at those words. It was one thing when someone complimented Addy for her dresses or her hairstyles, none of those were her work and so the compliments weren't personal. She'd pass the praise on to Bridget and be done with it. But when someone complimented _Addy's_ work, what she'd actually toiled over, her pale cheeks burst crimson every time. And not a cute crimson, either. A splotchy, unflattering red that clashed hilariously with her hair color.

"I'm afraid my time with your family is limited," The President continued, talking to all of the congregated Schreaves, Singers, and Palace personnel. "I'm expected to attend a luncheon welcoming our tenured faculty to a new semester in one hour."

"Mommy! Daddy!" Lief was investigating the entourage that the President had brought with her, currently waiting just past Addy's front yard (she was still getting over the thrill of the fact that she had her own 'front yard'). Lief was peeking out the front door, curious as always, and what he saw out there had excited him to the point of hopping up and down.

"What is it, Lief?" Maxon chuckled.

"A thing!" Lief pointed eagerly.

Addy peeked around President Farmer and out the front door, where Lief was still jumping, to see what her baby brother did not have the words for. A long, many-rowed luxury golf cart with plenty of seats for Addy's immediate family sat idling on the road outside the front walkway. A stiff-collared driver sat patiently at the wheel as several guards (including Addy's Uncle Ryland) inspected the vehicle for safety.

"Yes, Prince Lief." President Farmer smiled. "Usually your sister will walk to her classes, but since we're all so busy today, we're going to drive around campus to save time."

Addy really appreciated that the woman was addressing her littlest brother directly, using words he'd understand but not patronizing him. Lief nodded importantly, clearly responding to her respectful tone.

"We can go for a ride?" Rosie's big brown eyes lit up as she dashed forward to cling to Addy's leg.

"As soon as the guards are ready, Bud." Maxon confirmed, and Rosie's and Lief's faces broke into eager grins. Maxon cleared his throat, his brow furrowing, and said, "America, Dear…"

America was at his side in two steps, and he leant into her ear to whisper his worried thought. A moment later, America was frowning, too.

"What is it?" Addy asked. She wanted to be able to help if she could.

"President Farmer, could you please give us just a moment?" America asked.

The president of the university curtseyed again and saw herself past Lief's post and out the front door with a click, and the Schreaves, Singers, Orders, and their guests were left alone at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Addy's suite.

"Kids, we need to leave one of you out of the tour." Maxon frowned. "I'm sorry, I hadn't realized that all of us attending would even be an option."

"What's wrong?" Maisy asked.

Maxon looked so guilty that Addy took over for him. She had a pretty good idea what was wrong. "Anytime we're not in one secure location, even if our route is secure, we need to be split up. Just in case there's an accident, someone will be left to takeover the monarchy."

Maisy wrinkled her nose at the idea.

America's tone was apologetic, "It's not only the law, it's good practice."

"We can't ride the thing?" Lief asked, more worried than Addy had ever seen him. He wasn't following the whole conversation, but he was beginning to think that he might not get to ride in the epic golf cart.

"I'd like to keep the littles with me." America looked imploringly at Jameson and Maisy.

"Of course. They need you." Jamesy squared his shoulders. "I'll stay."

"I can stay." Maisy countered.

"No need, I've got this, Mais." Jameson said stiffly.

"Stop being stupid." Maisy rolled her eyes. "You were just telling me about how much you wanted to see the place. Weren't you _just_ talking about how you might want to go here in a few years?"

Jameson's eyes bore into Maisy's, willing her to stop talking. " _It's not a problem_."

"Look, I saw a sign for pickup kickball in the park." Maisy announced. " _Anybody_ can play, and I want to go play."

Maxon and America both shared an intent look, and the Orders family somehow seemed to read their minds. "That sounds fun." Leo said pointedly, "Can we tag along?"

"Yeah, we never have enough people for a whole game of kickball." Rogan added.

"And you know I'm in, if there's kickball." Uncle Gerad clapped a hand on his twin nephews' shoulders.

"Well—" Maxon wasn't quite convinced.

"It's alright, Maxon." James grinned. "Kenna and I will go and watch the game. Maisy will be the farthest thing from alone that anyone has ever been. We'll all be back for lunch."

Maxon sighed, his anxiety admitting defeat, "Take your full security detail, Maisy."

"Yes!" Maisy pumped her fist in the air, "Let's go!" she waved to her cousins and they took off around the staircase to locate and wrangle Maisy's guards.

Rosie and Lief were still staring up at their parents nervously.

"Alright." Maxon grinned, crossing over and pulling Lief into his arms, "Everyone else go get situated in the cart."

"We're going!" Lief cried in triumph.

"And if our cart falls off a cliff or something, Maisy will be the next queen." Maxon muttered, weary of always having to plan for disaster.

Rosie stared at her father from around Addy's leg and frowned. "No Daddy, _Mommy_ is Queen."

Maxon smiled, lowering one of his hands from supporting Lief's weight to offer Rosie something to hold. Rosie gripped his hand and followed him out the front door. "You're absolutely right, Rosebud. Mommy _is_ the Queen, and she's going to stay that way for years. And then who will be Queen?"

"Addy!" Rosie cheered, glancing back at her big sister.

Addy winked at Rosie and then linked arms with her mother to follow them out onto the front walkway.

With Lief and Rosie sitting in various laps, there was room for Maxon, America, Addy, Jameson, Magda, and Aunt May, as well as the President and their driver. Mary and Silvia eagerly offered to stay at Addy's house and begin organizing the boxes containing Addy's things.

While the rest of the Singers and Schreaves were getting comfortable in the cart, May stole a moment of her husband's attention to kiss him and confirm their dinner plans, to sneak off campus and find the nearest inexpensive New Asian restaurant, order the most popular menu items no matter what they were, and have a feast.

Addy had always watched her Aunt May and Uncle Ry with total admiration. She could remember their wedding, just barely. She'd been flower girl with Astra, who'd had experience at the job and was careful to teach Adrienne exactly how to toss the pedals and step in time to the music. The church had been enormous, but not the cathedral that hosted true royal weddings. Everyone in the world wanted to be at May Singer's wedding, but only _real_ friends and family were actually invited. Everyone else had to wait for the afterparty.

May and Ryland had celebrated their eleventh anniversary recently, running off for a week in Paris. Usually guards used their vacation days to go home and visit family, but May was always around the Palace, and she and Ry were together most of the time already. So on Ryland's vacation days, they traveled the world and brought back presents for their nieces and nephews.

The fact that they'd decided not to have children of their own, originally because of May's heart condition, had always worked out well for the Schreave kids' toy chests. And it was working out for Ry and May, too. They had a lot of freedom and a lot more time to devote to one another than they would have had if they'd been parents, themselves. As America and Kenna tended to reiterate whenever the topic came up, being a parent was endlessly rewarding, but it did not come without sacrifices.

And if Ryland's or May's arms ever ached for a baby to hold, they had plenty of nieces and nephews, after all. They let that, and all of their other many, many blessings, be enough.

Addy loved and admired her Aunt May and Uncle Ry more than she could say. It was nice to imagine falling in love with the kind of person who would go to a restaurant he'd never been to before and order food he'd never even heard of before, just to see his love's eyes light up with happiness. Ryland was a quiet homebody, but for May he would happily cross oceans every chance he got. Her happiness was his happiness, and vice-versa. Addy wanted someone like that. _Everyone_ probably wanted someone like that, Addy figured.

Her life with whomever she chose from her Selection would be strictly scheduled, every moment of the day, so there would be no New Asian restaurants in far-off towns and no romantic vacations to far-off countries.

As such, Addy supposed it didn't really matter if she married someone who would like those little adventures with her or not. Either way, it wasn't going to happen. She was better off keeping an eye out for a proper prince consort and leaving the romantic New Asian food dates to her aunt and uncle.

May slid into the third row of the cart next to Magda, and with that, they began to roll away at golf cart speed. The littles in America's and Maxon's laps began whooping with exhilaration, as if they'd never gone 8 miles per hour before. Addy giggled back at them from her spot in the front row.

"How do you like your housing?" President Farmer asked with polite interest.

"It's wonderful. A bit much, considering I'll be by myself, but I'll be more than comfortable there." Addy replied.

For some reason, the President's smile at those words was knowing. Rich with dramatic irony, as if she knew something Addy didn't know yet. "Good." was all the President said, and they continued their ride in silence for several minutes, listening to Lief and Rosie having the time of their lives in the middle row.

It was a beautiful day with the sun shining brightly overhead. The sky was a crystal blue, an enormous duplicate of the clear, clean, cool water of the Palace swimming pool. It made Addy want to fall into it, float through it, like a real bird. It was doubtful that even Aunt May could have painted a prettier picture, with the grass an emerald shade of green and the storied old university buildings on the horizon adding character and contrast to their surroundings.

Just as the cart crested a small hill on its way toward the park in the middle of campus, it slowed to a gentle stop. Addy heard Lief's confusion behind her, "Are we there?"

The President turned around in her seat so that Addy, as well as her family, could hear what she said next. "If you look just past those trees, you'll see a tall hill in the distance. That's about five miles away. Can you see the building on top?"

Everyone squinted at the hill on the horizon, and the little grey square that sat on top of it. "That's a _place_?" Rosie's jaw dropped.

"That is, in fact, our space observatory. It's where our future astronomers and astrophysicists study the universe."

"Woah." This time it was Jameson effusing, and he immediately clamped his mouth shut, embarrassed at his own outburst.

President Farmer did not seem to mind at all, "Princess Adrienne, if you take an astronomy or astrophysics course for one of your science credits, you'll be riding out there one or two nights a week, depending on your course's level, to study the stars."

Maxon and America shared a long smile, and without glancing away from her husband, America asked, "The stars are different colors, isn't that right, President Farmer?"

President Farmer wasn't used to Maxon's and America's many inside references, so she glanced at Addy for clarity, and Addy nodded that she was, in fact, supposed to answer the question. President Farmer replied, "That's correct, your Majesty. Light can be perceived by the human eye as different colors based on that light's wavelength, and wavelengths can change based on a star's temperature. Generally speaking, cooler stars are red and hotter stars are blue, with yellow and green falling somewhere in the middle. Of course, particles in a star's atmosphere might also change the colors we see when we gaze at them, but generally speaking we start our study of a specific star by following the temperature guideline."

"I think I used to know that." Maxon quirked a smile. "Adrienne? Do you think you'll spend any time in classes at the observatory?"

"If I have room in my schedule, I'd love to." Addy confessed. "It would be nice to learn about the universe, but I have to focus on understanding the country I'm going to lead, first."

"We'll do what we can to accommodate you, Princess." The President assured her. "For starters, I have spoken with the faculty of the university at length, and we'd like to extend an opportunity for you to audit any class that catches your interest, any time you have a spare moment."

Addy blinked, certain she'd misunderstood. "You… you mean to say that…"

President Farmer took pity on her and clarified, "I mean to say that If you're free on a Wednesday night and the introductory level astronomy class is going out to the observatory to study the stars, you have a standing invitation to join them. The same is true for any lectures across the university."

Addy gaped at her, all of her manners frozen somewhere in between her brain and the rest of her body. Taking Adrienne to a university and telling her that she could study whatever she wanted was like taking Rosie and Lief to a bakery and telling them that they could eat _everything._

"I know you'll be _extremely_ busy, your schedule will be packed so that you can complete your degree early, but just know that this is a place of learning." The President continued. "Just because you don't have time to take a course for credit doesn't mean you should be banned from learning the subject matter. As our country's next ruler, you might one day find yourself dealing with an astronomer in search of funding or an archaeologist looking for a charter, and we want to offer you whatever we can in the time that you're here to prepare you for the future."

Addy was in ecstatic shock. She knew there was no way to take _every_ class the university had to offer, especially not in two short years, but by God, she wanted to go down trying. In that moment she knew that if she had a hundred lifetimes to live, she'd want to spend them all here, burying herself in accumulated knowledge. She wanted to die her hundred and first death in that observatory, discovering new planets and mapping the universe.

Maxon chuckled at the look on his oldest daughter's face, probably remembering the first time he and Addy had gotten to tour America's and Kriss' inaugural public library.

As cameras snapped in the background, America had bent down to little Addy's level and told her in a soft voice, "You can take as many books as you want, Adrienne."

"What?" It had been too good to be true, Addy knew she must have misunderstood.

"Go and see what's on the shelves, Bird." Maxon had smiled down at her. "You can take whatever you like."

Addy had narrowed her eyes skeptically, "I can take two?"

America had smiled and kissed her cheek, "You can take _twenty,_ if you want them. So long as you promise to bring them all back in two weeks, you can take two _hundred_."

Little Addy had frozen, eyes as round as saucers, unable to comprehend all that was being offered to her. Two weeks was a lifetime to a five-year-old. It was _forever_. She'd tried to contain the happiness she was feeling, the joy and the excitement, but it completely filled her up and then burst out of her in a river of tears. Addy had wailed, her whole chin trembling, her nose running faster than her daddy could offer her a hanky.

Maxon and America had laughed at her, soothing her with reassuring words and explaining to the cameras that she wasn't unhappy. On the contrary, she was overwhelmed with so much happiness that, as a five-year-old, she couldn't process it yet.

She'd had to be carried to the children's section on her daddy's hip, and she'd hugged her _four_ borrowed books to her chest the whole ride home, still sniffling a little at her treasures.

Maybe in an effort to keep Addy from bursting into tears now, and potentially embarrassing herself in front of the president of her university, Maxon replied for her, "Thank you, President Farmer. We are truly honored to receive such a generous offer. I'm sure Adrienne will take advantage of this opportunity many times."

The President nodded, and the cart slowly rolled off again, continuing its trek toward central campus.

Though her mind was still buzzing with the prospect of all of the potential extra classes she could sneak into her schedule, Addy couldn't help but notice the dozens of students traversing the sidewalks surrounding the road that the cart drove down. They all seemed to be headed to each other's dormitories, reuniting with old friends and helping them unpack.

Others in small groupings speckled the park that demarcated the very center of the main campus. These students were enjoying the bright, beautiful day with their friends. Some were playing impromptu games of catch, cheered on by spectators relaxing in the shade of trees much older than the country of Illéa. Trees that looked old enough to have been planted in United States soil.

Overall, Addy got the impression that these students, older, smarter, and more experienced than she was, were thrilled to be reuniting with their friends after a long summer apart. It was not hard for her to imagine that some of them had probably been together through good and bad times for years now. She didn't know how she could be expected to break through and join any of them, their groups all seemed so purposeful, the borders of their social circles impenetrable.

At least she had Kile and Meri, she reminded herself firmly. She had no reason to worry.

Although, to be honest, Addy wasn't sure the extent to which Kile and Meri would have time to spend on her once classes started. They were all in different departments, and living on opposite ends of campus. They were past the days of their parents facilitating playdates for them.

Addy shuddered, realizing that that was a threshold she'd crossed on this very day. Yesterday, she and Meri had been kids living at home, and all of the routines and structures that their parents had built to protect them and keep them happy for their entire lives were still in place.

Today, it was all gone. And even when Addy moved back home after university was over, things wouldn't be the same. There would be no asking Uncle Aspen to bring Meri with him to work, Meri was on the four year plan, she wouldn't complete university until after Addy's coronation as queen. And Kile would graduate at the same time as Addy, but he'd be off to work, off to change the world for the better, just as Addy would be finalizing preparations for her Selection and apprenticing with her father every hour of the day.

Something about seeing those happy, well-adjusted students sitting in the park and basking in the sunlight, filled Addy with the realization that, in several important ways that she'd never fully appreciated before, her childhood was essentially over. She'd gone to bed last night one way, and she'd awoken this morning in a different way.

She couldn't count on the Palace kid gang to drop everything and keep her company like in the old days, and it wouldn't be fair to expect it of them. They'd share of themselves exactly the amount that they could afford to offer, no more and no less. Beyond that, Addy had to figure things out on her own.

The anxiety and uncertainty that this new understanding filled her with was cold inside of her, totally untouched by the warmth of the sun. She felt phantom loneliness, a pang of anticipated pain in her chest for a circumstance that she wasn't even in yet. Her whole family, as well as several crucial family friends, were here to help her settle into her dormitory and acclimate to her new surroundings; it was unprecedented to have so many loved ones gathered together for so much time without there being a state function or Palace ball to attend. Even so, somehow the loneliness she was anticipating in the weeks to come was so substantial that it seemed as if the vast and endless darkness was spilling back through time and gripping her on this brightest of days.

The cart rolled to a stop before Addy could languor any longer in her morose thoughts, and President Farmer pointed out toward an imposing bronze statue in the middle of the park. A severe looking man was depicted standing tall, wearing a formal suit in a style hundreds of years outdated. The President craned her head around to peek at Rosie and Lief. "Do you two know who that is?"

Rosie and Lief scrunched their noses in identical America Singer fashion, and Lief rubbed at his eye as if that might help him pass the quiz.

Maxon laughed, "Come on now, kids. That's your great-great-great-great-uncle Gregory Illéa."

They just blinked.

Now most of the cart was chuckling that a Prince and Princess of Illéa had no idea who their most important ancestor was. Even the stoic cart driver cracked a smile.

America kissed Rosie's blonde hair. "He was the very first King of Illéa, and he's the reason that you are a prince and a princess today."

"He's your dad?" Lief asked Maxon, confused.

"No, son." Maxon laughed. "One of our several-greats grandmothers was his sister. Uncle Gregory had an heir like Addy, a boy named Damon. And Damon had a son, too. Justin. But Justin got sick and he died."

"Aw." Rosie frowned sympathetically. She knew about death primarily through the tragic annual demise of many of the plants in the Palace gardens. She had a heartbreaking tendency to name the carrots in the vegetable patch, in particular.

"It was very sad." Maxon nodded. "So, since the Illéas were out of heirs, Gregory asked his sister's children and grandchildren, the Schreaves, to take over. And that's us."

"He was real?" Rosie asked, uncertain.

"He was very real." Maxon confirmed.

President Farmer added to Adrienne and the rest of the cart, "Upon the renaming of this university in Gregory Illéa's honor, some twenty years after his coronation, that statue was erected as a monument to Illéa's first King, and also to the start of what was then only the dream of a stable, long-term government after generations of chaos. The statue is believed to be lucky here on campus, as Gregory Illéa's constitution and kingdom have successfully survived to this day. Around final examinations, students like to leave little offerings to the statue, cookies from the student dining hall or that kind of thing. The superstition is that it brings good luck to the students, and even if it doesn't, the birds on campus feast for days."

"Cookies?" Lief narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the statue, as if to say that he saw no cookies nearby. "Where? I _need_ one."

"We'll have lunch soon." Maxon promised him as the cart continued its journey.

Addy's mind ticked, a question forming on her lips. "Was the naming of this university, and its sister campuses in other parts of the country, also meant to be a reference to the historical 'King's College' of the American colonies?"

President Farmer tilted her head to the side, impressed. She took a moment to decide exactly how to respond, "There is a rumor to that effect, actually. Though King Gregory offered stability and safety to the people of this country, he restricted access to books and learning, and though all of the subjects taught at this university suffered, none suffered more than history."

Addy gulped and nodded, "I know that history books were banned outright."

"That's true." President Farmer nodded. "There is a rumor, more legend than anything else, that when the university asked the King for their charter so that they could resume classes after the revolution, they told him that they would name the school for him, Kings University. No one at the time would have had the academic references or would have thought to draw the connection between Kings University and the colonial King's College."

"The United States had so many colleges and universities," Addy mused, "I wonder why they chose to honor King's College…"

"King's College was later renamed, after the United States won its independence from the British Empire and the college lost its royal charter. It became known as 'Columbia', and went on to become one of the finest institutions of learning that the United States ever had. 'Columbia' is likely the name that King Gregory would have recognized and rejected. By referencing the old name, our school would be subtly associating itself with… well… the type of education that the King was dismantling at the time. Not to mention, the historical King's College was known to have educated some of the American Revolution's most prominent figures… this university's president and board of trustees at the time may have been hoping to educate the leaders of another great revolution. A revolution that never came to pass. Of course, that's all speculation and rumor…"

Addy blinked, amazed at the President's candor. In the Palace, people always skirted around Gregory Illéa's less-than-ideal qualities. Miss Alvaraz, Addy's tutor, hadn't been willing to risk disparaging him. She'd assigned Addy a history book to read, instead, and let Addy draw her own conclusions.

It was unsettling, but also thrilling, to know that she could ask any question that crossed her mind and receive an honest answer. No one would try to sugar coat anything for her, just because she was the Princess.

"Why no apostrophe?" Addy asked. "King's College had one. At least, it did in the books I read about the American Revolution."

"Ambition." The President smiled as the cart slowly began to roll again. "That is the official explanation, free of rumor. In the university's historical records it is documented that, rather than belong to the King, as with the possessive apostrophe, this school and its founders wanted to educate successive heirs to the throne, too. _Many_ Kings. No apostrophe. And if that's true, then you've fulfilled that wish etched into Kings University's founding documents."

Addy tried to shake off the idea that she was somehow fulfilling this school's destiny. That was one burden too many for her shoulders. So she joked, "Does that mean I get extra dessert from the dining hall?"

The driver took them past the student center, a tall building full of study rooms and meeting spaces for the students to use anytime that they were needed, as well as an alternate dining area and a few pool tables and games to occupy a study break.

"That's also where the majority of our over 200 student clubs and organizations regularly meet." President Farmer added as they drove on. "I highly encourage you to browse through the catalogue and consider joining one or two clubs, Princess. It's a great way to make new acquaintances outside of class, and sometimes there's free food or field trips to make it worth your while."

"I'm sure I can think of one or two that Gavril Fadaye would approve of." Addy smiled, imagining Gavril's first choice of student club for her. It would probably have something to do with kissing babies in front of cameras.

President Farmer laughed at the mention of the famous _Illéa Capital Report_ host, but Maxon leant forward from behind Addy and said, "Make sure you find one that _you_ enjoy, too, Bird. So long as you're learning and having a good time, the citizens of the country will be happy."

America added, "You love your animal shelter, Addy. Maybe one that raises money to help shelter pets find homes?"

"Good idea, Ames," Maxon eagerly agreed, "Or maybe something to do with baking? You could learn all kinds of tricks in a cooking club, and you've always loved experimenting in the kitchen—"

"Cookies!" Lief exclaimed. "Yeah, Addy! Join the cookies!"

"Or muffins, too." Rosie added sagely.

From the back row, there was a distinct and pointed clearing of a throat as all eyes turned to an immensely amused Aunt May. "I _think_ the whole point is for _Addy_ to consider what she might like to try, possibly something she's never had the chance to try before, and then for _Addy_ to pursue it."

With those simple words, Addy found herself looking at an achingly remorseful mother and father. "You're absolutely right, May." Maxon frowned, borderline devastated. "We must be such overbearing parents. I'd never thought of it before. Ames and I both have rather strong personalities, to say the least. Have we been telling what you do and don't like for all of your life, baby bird?"

Addy laughed at her dad's puppy dog eyes, wanting to set him at ease as quickly as possible. "Of course not, Dad. I know when I'm having fun and when I'm not. Remember that state dinner when you made me dance with the Prince of Spain?"

Maxon chuckled, relief and mirth all over his face as he did, indeed, remember that state dinner.

Addy had been only eight years old, but she'd begun her dancing lessons with Aunt Silvia that year, and Maxon wanted to show her off to the world. Addy was always happy to dance with her dad, but things went sour when he'd tried to pair her with the ten year old Prince of Spain. That boy had had sticky fingers from eating too many maple treats, and she'd heard him saying mean things about Astra's dress earlier in the night. The comical frown on Addy's little face as she reluctantly, stiffly danced with the prince, keeping as much distance between them as possible, was immortalized in photographs that Maxon and America still liked to take out and laugh at from time to time.

Addy definitely had her own mind. She tried to use that mind to please the people she loved, sometimes to her own detriment, but she liked to think that she at least _knew_ when she was truly happy and when she was trying to be happy for the benefit of others. It wasn't that Addy let herself be told what she liked or didn't like, she realized. It was just that there hadn't been very many times in her life when her preferences had actually mattered.

Most of her days were made up of a long list of obligations, things she had to do whether she liked them or not. As with marrying someone who would like to take little adventures, most of Addy's preferences were completely irrelevant because she simply didn't have enough freedom in her daily life to express them.

But university was going to be different. She wasn't going to need a politically-motivated reason to try something that looked fun. She could just do it, whatever it was, and it wouldn't matter how it looked on camera or what anyone else would think of her while she was doing it. The enormity of Gavril's gift to her began to sink in, and a smile spread wide across her face, "Maybe I'll join a lumberjack club." she joked.

In the back, May laughed. "Do you think you'd like chopping down trees in your spare time?"

"I don't know," Addy said, eyes alight with excitement, "But I'll find out."

* * *

As the tour continued, the president extolled the virtues of the architecture of the mathematics, Foreign languages, Natural Sciences, and Illéan law buildings, as well as the worthiness of the departments they housed. It was true that each building was like a work of art. Addy had heard amazing things from Kile about the mathematics building in particular, and even she, as a layman, could appreciate the architecture of the centuries-old structure.

As the cart drove past the English building, Addy thought of Meri. The large, wide steps leading up to the columned building would be the perfect place for Addy's friend to spend sunny afternoons when the temperature was agreeable, sitting back and enjoying the fresh air, getting ahead on her class reading list or jotting down ideas for her next essay. It was _perfect_ for the honey-haired daughter of General and Lady Leger. Addy was sure Meri's tour group had already visited it, but she wished to the skies above that she could have been there to see the look on Meri's face when she first laid eyes on her new academic home. That place had been built for Meri, and then spent three hundred years biding its time, waiting patiently for her arrival.

The cart slowed to a gentle roll, but did not fully stop, as the President pointed out the building where Addy would be spending the majority of her time over the next two years, the Political Sciences building. It was a monument to ancient Roman government with Roman gods carved above the entrance, and one of the early philosophers of governance carved into statue, poised as if in heavy contemplation, right in the middle of the front walkway. From the road, Addy couldn't tell exactly which philosopher she was looking at. She wasn't done squinting and tilting her head sideways at it, trying to identify the figure, before they'd rounded

the corner and were off to peek at the athletics department, complete with the golf course from which this cart had likely been borrowed.

Addy spied another tour group, a _proper_ tour group, meandering in the opposite direction as her royal, guided tour sped by. This other group was filled with new students, wide-eyed and eager, being led by two cheerful, enthusiastic upperclassmen back from a summer of well-deserved relaxation. They'd clearly just come from one of the smaller dining halls nearby, each sporting an ice cream cone of assorted flavors. It didn't look to have the texture of the luxury ice cream of the Palace, nor did the cones have the gravitas of the freshly baked, maple-encrusted waffles that the head chef preferred to craft into cones, but every single one of those students looked like they were having the time of their lives, eating their dinging hall ice cream on a clear September morning.

Addy knew, in that moment, that her experience was already different than theirs. Already, there was a wall of abnormality between herself and those students. They had roommates and housemates, they had all day to spend meandering through campus with a group of peers, any of whom might become new friends. They had ice cream.

Addy frowned as the cart whizzed past, unable to squash the feeling that this rushed cart ride through campus, led by someone frankly too important to be wasting time as a tour-guide, but who was the only person trusted by the university to perform this simple job at a royal level, was the perfect metaphor for Addy's graduation plan (It would be rushed through in two years, just as this cart zoomed by the university's more subtle features), and indeed, her life (passing by ice cream and in-depth looks at the world around her because she was in a hurry and too important to slow down and enjoy the walk like everyone else).

It was with this sense of claustrophobia that, when the cart turned a corner and the final stop on her tour came into view, Addy turned to President Farmer and said, "Thank you so much for the beautiful tour of campus. I know you have a luncheon to attend to, and I don't want to keep you any longer. My family and I will explore the library ourselves and enjoy a nice walk back to my dormitory."

The President was taken aback, perhaps even alarmed that she'd done something wrong. "Princess, are you certain? It's no trouble at all. I never meant to imply that I don't have time for your Highness—"

"No, please, President Farmer." Addy worked to make her tone and facial expression as sympathetic as possible, for the president's sake. "I can't imagine what your schedule must be like today. My family and I will enjoy the opportunity to wander, and walking back to my dormitory will be good practice for this upcoming semester."

President Farmer still looked reluctant, but slowly relief was creeping in, too. She wasn't in trouble, and she'd have a few spare minutes to herself before having to rush off to the next event. "Very well, Princess. I hope that you won't hesitate to come to my office should you have any further questions. My door is always open to you."

"Thank you." Addy said, as the cart rolled to a stop in front of the enormous university library. "I'll be in touch if I need anything."

She'd hardly been able to focus on her parting words to the President of Kings University, Angeles. She was taking in the sheer scale and beauty of the library before her. With its domed roof and the carvings adorning all corners of its layered stone facade, the whole place felt like a medieval cathedral. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that it had been crafted to _look_ ancient, rather than actually originating in the middle ages, but if Addy hadn't known better she might have been fooled. The steps, rather than leading straight to the oak front doors, steepled up the sides and created a plateau where they met in the middle. Kile had tried to tell her about this place, but she hadn't properly understood until now. Not only was it beautiful and old and fascinating, but it was full to the brim with _books_. More books than she could fathom. And all of it was for _her_. Addy wasn't some impending Illéan political leader now, her future full of budgets and meetings and the detailed, rigorous, cautious work of a diplomat. In that moment, she was a true fairytale princess, and _this_ was her castle.

"Bird? Are you coming?" Maxon called out, a knowing smirk at the look on her face.

Addy blinked, returning to the present, and exited the cart. She joined her family on the walkway leading up to the library and paused as President Farmer curtseyed her goodbyes and then left.

The littles were disappointed that the cart ride was over, but Lief was mollified by getting to ride on Maxon's shoulders, and Rosie was quickly moving on to how excited she was to be visiting a library she'd never seen before. America had successfully instilled an idolatry of libraries in both her oldest and her youngest daughters.

As they all made their way toward the many-storied building, Magda and May each held one of Rosie's hands and periodically lifted her into the air between them as the little girl giggled in delighted surprise. Jameson was clearly happy, too, as he kept step with Maxon, enjoying a lighthearted conversation with his dad, though Addy couldn't hear exactly what they were talking about.

America clasped hands with Addy and said, "What do you think so far?"

"It's all wonderful." Addy said, taking a moment to admire the beauty of the raw materials from which the library had been built.

"I think, if you're patient with yourself and you stay focused on your goal, you'll love it here." America smiled encouragingly.

"I'd have to be a fool not to love this." Addy gestured around them.

They were up the steps leading to the entryway of the library now, and one turn of the head was all it took to see the sprawling green of the wooded path that had led here, and then the clear middle which was the park where, as they spoke, Maisy was likely destroying some of her father's loyal subjects in kickball, and then beyond that the towering student center, flanked on either side by the larger dormitories.

Addy had been told that they were far enough north for a little bit of a season change in about a month or so. Soon, the trees would be auburn and the well-trodden paths to the class buildings would be covered in crunchy leafs. This whole place would be more or less a postcard.

"Funny. That's what they said about the Palace, too." America mused, pausing to gaze out at the campus before them. They let the others (and the guards moving in to flank them) walk ahead of them while they stood back, their own guards at a respectful distance, and spoke.

Addy turned to study her mother's face, "You _did_ love the Palace, though."

America shook her head with a laugh, "Not until I loved your father, I didn't. The whole place was nothing more than a gilded cage for me. Love is what made it my home. Without that love, if I were still there, it would be a cage to this day. "

"Last night you said nobody forced you to stay…" Addy didn't understand.

"Nobody did." America agreed. "I was free to leave, but I had incentive to stay. That didn't mean I had to like it."

Addy laughed, "Poor Daddy. You must have confused him so much. You wanted to be there, but you had no intention of enjoying it."

America laughed too, "You have no idea. All of his gestures to try to make me happy were greeted on my part with total reluctance and suspicion, rather than as romantic overtures by a handsome young prince. Your father was adorably, hopelessly disoriented."

They laughed again, and a warm breeze swept through causing the shorter red hairs around America's face to separate from the rest of her elegant knot and wave freely in the wind.

She continued staring out, clearly seeing something in that beautiful scenery that Addy couldn't. "I guess, Bird, that my point is… I know this place looks perfect. And I know that it _is_ wonderful, that's not just an illusion. I know this is everything you could ever dream of, but dreams are… dreams are different than real life."

Addy didn't understand. "Mom?"

"If the reality isn't as simple as the dream, if the reality is messy and difficult and painful where the dream was tidy and easy and thrilling, that's okay. That doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong, or that you've made a mistake. That's just real life. Okay?"

"What… I mean, why do you think I can't—"

America turned to look at Addy, shaking her head, "Not you. This place." She hugged her close. "I'm probably worrying over nothing, Bird, but please just humor me. This place looks perfect on the outside, but that doesn't mean it's always going to be perfect on the inside. If you get halfway through the semester and it isn't the amazing adventure that it looks like to the rest of the world… that's okay. That's not your fault, and more than that, it's normal. Promise me you'll remember that, and I'll stop worrying."

"Do you think I've made a mistake?" Addy asked, and her whole future hung on the balance of how her mother would reply.

America pressed a kiss to Addy's forehead, "I think you've made one of the bravest, best decisions of your life so far. I'm so proud of you, your father and I both are. But just because something is right doesn't mean that it's going to be easy. In fact, I've found that 'the right thing' and 'the easy thing' are seldom one and the same. All I want is for you to remember that 'difficult' does not mean 'mistake'. In fact, if you're challenging yourself with difficult tasks, there's a good chance you're onto something great."

"Okay…" Addy gulped. "I'll keep that in mind, I guess, but I'm going to be fine, Mom. This is going to be great."

"I know it is." America grinned, releasing her daughter from the hug, but leaving one arm around her shoulders as they turned together and joined the rest of their family in the library.


	10. Chapter 9

There were plenty of interested students gawking as the majority of the Royal family walked through the park on their way back to Addy's dormitory, but everyone on campus had been warned to expect royal sightings for the next couple of years, and there wasn't too much of a fuss made, all things considered.

The guards formed a loose bubble of protection at a respectful distance and intercepted any would-be autograph seekers. It wasn't that the royal family didn't want to greet everyone on campus, it was simply a matter of not having enough hours in the day. For the most part, the students and their families understood this and respected it, and it amazed Addy to be able to walk in public, with almost all of her family, and not be obligated to attend to other people. The walk from the library back to her dormitory was its own once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Magda, America, and May were still sniffling, recovering from an overwhelming moment back in the library. Rosie was patting her mother's hand, consolingly.

Addy thought it was pretty funny, actually. Everyone had been sure that she'd be the one to cry at some point as they'd wandered that amazing library, just like she had as a little kid at her very first public library visit. And, to be fair, she very nearly _had_ cried when they'd found the gorgeous, cavernous fairytale floor. But Addy had held it together and, instead, celebrated with Rosie all of the different bedtime stories she could call and read to her baby sister during their impending separation.

No, the very first tears had come from Magda, and they'd started when the royal family ventured up to the history floor.

Stacks upon stacks of books, meticulously organized, ranging from historical reference tomes to biographies of long-dead leaders to amazing accounts of the civilizations that birthed modern political philosophies. People spent lifetimes studying the contents of a single shelf of this section of the library, and still never mastered it all.

When Addy turned away from one particular book, an incomplete history of the United States (incomplete, because its original date of publication was fifty years before the fall of the once great nation), Addy had found her grandmother in tears.

"What is it, Momma?" May had asked, squeezing her mother's hand.

"Gramma?" Lief was worried, his little arms crossed over his chest. If something was hurting his grandma, he wanted to know what it was so he could help. He was like Maxon in that way.

"I'm _happy_ , little ones!" Magda had promised, kneeling down so that Rosie and Lief could see her better and know she wasn't sad. "I'm very happy."

Rosie had kissed Magda on the cheek, "I like the books, too."

Magda had chuckled and hugged her youngest grandchildren closely.

"Mom?" America had wanted more of an explanation.

May had helped Magda back to standing, and they'd all crossed over to an abandoned study table. Magda took a seat, and Lief and Rosie negotiated how to share sitting on her lap. Ultimately, Rosie won out and Lief settled for hugging Gramma's arm and standing sentry beside her. Maxon had pulled the chairs out for America, Addy, and May, and then looped his arms around America's shoulders, sparing a kiss for the top of her head. Jameson had sat across from Addy, sharing a puzzled look with her.

"Kids, did you know that every single one of the books on this floor used to be _banned_?" Magda had asked. "No one was allowed to read them, and you could get in big trouble just for having them."

"No way!" Rosie fervently did not believe it. "Daddy is the King, he makes all the rules of the world, and he _loves_ them." she'd said of the books.

" _Before_ your daddy was the King, it was different." Magda replied steadily. Clearly it was hard for Lief and Rosie to imagine such an ancient time as before their daddy was the King. Magda had explained, "The only reason these books are here today is because very brave people kept them hidden and safe for hundreds of years, until your daddy became King and changed the rules. Then, people were allowed to make brand new copies of the old history books and sell them to everyone who wanted to read them, and they could begin writing new history books about things that happened more recently. And that's how all the books on this whole floor of the library got to be here. Thirty years ago, I don't know what would have been here. Empty shelves. Cobwebs."

"Good job, Daddy." Lief said, shuddering at the thought of cobwebs. He had a particular fear of spiders and was proud to think that his father had helped to defeat them.

"Yeah." Addy marveled, smiling at her bashful king of a father. "Good job, Daddy."

The tears had been in Magda's eyes again as she'd said, to Addy and Jamesy especially, "Your Grandpa Shalom was one of those very brave people who risked life and limb to safeguard a history book. The Singer family guarded that one particular tome since the time of the Fourth World War."

"Wow…" Jameson's imagination had been captivated by the thought of it.

"If he was alive today, if he was sitting at this table with us…" Magda had gulped a lump in her throat, "He would be so proud of you, Addy. This is exactly what he would have wanted for you."

Andthat was when America and May had begun crying, too. "Oh, Mom…" May had sobbed.

"And he'd have been proud of you, Maxon." Magda had continued. "For changing the laws to make all of this possible."

Maxon wiped at his forehead to buy himself a moment. He was visibly overwhelmed. "Your Grandmother is right, kids. Your Grandpa Shalom was a _wonderful_ man. You'd have adored him."

Something seemed to click in Lief's head. "I'm Shalom, too."

"Yes you are, baby boy." America had smiled with a sniffle, reaching over and affectionately patting his elbow (the only thing she could reach from across the table). "You are Lief Shalom Schreave, Shalom like Grandpa."

Lief smiled over at Rosie, "He's from the special bread. From Christmas."

"Oh!" Rosie admired, pleasantly surprised.

Magda had laughed at that, overjoyed that Shalom was remembered in this way, even by the grandchildren that he'd never gotten to meet. " _Yes_ , my darling. We use Grandpa Shalom's recipe for the Special Bread _every_ Christmas Eve."

Lief nodded, finally understanding exactly who they were talking about. "Yeah, I like Grandpa Shalom, he's good."

May had sobbed heavily at this, and Maxon sprung into action at the sound of the crying girl, digging a handkerchief out of his pocket and patting her soothingly on the back. He'd brought more than one hanky, knowing this would be an emotional day, but the rest of his extras were back at Addy's dormitory.

"I want Special Bread." Rosie had lamented, agreeing with her Aunt May's overall mood.

America had blinked, returning from her reveries about her father to the present, "You're absolutely right, Rosalynn, it's lunchtime. Let's head back to Addy's little house and see what the others want to eat."

And so they had. Now, as they rounded the corner to the street that led to Addy's dormitory, Addy fell into step with Jamesy, who'd been remarkably quiet throughout most of the tour.

"Everything alright?" Addy asked.

"Yeah."

"What do you think of it all?"

Jamesy ran a hand through his hair, mussing it until he was the spitting image of his father on a day off of work. "It's good. I don't know how I'd like the classes, but I think I'd have fun living here."

Addy nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean. The social part of this place is amazing."

"I know I'll have more work around the Palace while you're gone, but I think maybe I'll ask Mom and Dad if I can join a club or something, too."

"What do you mean?"

"Maisy gets to be on a team, right? So I could probably join a club or something, too."

"I'm sure you could."

"Yeah." Jameson nodded, bolstered by the fact that she agreed with him. "Only, I probably wouldn't play soccer. I don't really like running."

"What would you want to do?" Addy was curious. Her brother was normally really easygoing, so on the one hand, he never complained about anything, but on the other hand, he had a hard time speaking up when he truly wanted something.

"I don't really know," he shrugged, "I haven't thought about it much before today. I guess… hearing about all of those student clubs, all the different things people can have in common… There might be something like that, close to home, with kids my age."

Addy grinned, "I'll bet there is, Jamesy."

"Maybe camping or hiking or something. I know it would be a pain for the guards, but it'd be fun to spend some time in the woods."

"Definitely talk to Mom and Dad about it. Even if they can't release you completely into the wild, maybe the Palace could host campouts in the forrest on our grounds… there's room for compromise there." Addy encouraged.

"Yeah." Jamesy nodded brightly, not having thought of that before. He scrunched his nose as he looked up at the bright, clear sky. "I could learn to start a fire with flint."

"Why would you need to do that?" Addy giggled.

" _Want,_ Adds, not _need_. For _fun_. You know, _fun_? You should try it sometime." he teased.

Addy knew that her brother had no idea that 'fun' was code for a certain English prince, so she just stuck her tongue out at her brother and cast a glance to the sky above, hoping fate would hear her and help resolve her mess of complicated feelings and impulses before they got completely out of hand. " _Not_ interested." she insisted, wrapping an arm around Jamesy as they continued their walk back to Addy's housing.

* * *

When the Schreaves had, at last, returned to Addy's student housing, they found Carter and Marlee in the downstairs suite along with Mary, Silvia, and a handful of guards.

Spread out before them on the dining table was a wide array of charcuterie and risotto, along with several bottles of Italian wine and sparkling water. It was a fine dining feast completely out of place in a dorm room.

"What's all this?" Maxon asked, greeting Carter with a handshake.

"Don't ask us. It was being delivered when we got here." Marlee said, releasing America from what seemed to be a much-needed hug.

"Your Majesties," Silvia curtseyed, "Her Highness, Princess Adrienne's godmother wanted to make certain that you were all taken care of today."

America and Maxon laughed at the absurdity of the Italian Queen, on the other side of the world, finding a way to deliver gourmet Italian food to Addy's room just in time for lunch.

"Auntie Nic sent this?" Addy scrunched her brow in surprise.

"I don't know all of the details, Princess." Silvia confessed. "The food is sourced from a local restaurant run by an Italian family, recent immigrants. Apparently, the Queen of Italy spoke with them at length on the telephone, to ensure they met with her exacting standards, and when it was clear that they were capable of giving you what she wanted you to have, she paid them exorbitantly for this feast."

"We'd have taken it upstairs," Mary added, "But it seemed quite a lot to carry up there, and we were fairly sure you'd want to share with the guards…"

"Of course!" Maxon grinned. "The more the merrier. Carter, help me move some chairs from the living area, we'll have a feast worthy of the Palace."

"Yes, sir." Carter grinned, liking his orders very much.

"I'll call the Legers, let them know to join us. Meri might be on her tour at the moment, though…" Marlee added, hurrying off to the telephone.

"Addy, Kile's upstairs. Why don't you run up and get him to carry some chairs down from your dining table?" Carter suggested.

"Sure." Addy shrugged, gently maneuvering through the crowded group, breaking free when she made it to the staircase.

She'd expected to find Kile fairly easily once she was up there, but she looked around and he was nowhere to be seen. Not in the common area, not in the bedroom she'd chosen to sleep in, nor the smaller, single bedroom that Silvia seemed to have temporarily turned into a closet whilst Addy and the royal family had been out on their tour. She was beginning to think that Carter had lost track of his son, maybe he'd been confused and Kile had run out to take care of an errand while Addy's tour finished up, but then she noticed the closed door.

The door to the room that contained Rosie's favorite bed, the door to the room that would be mostly unused all year long, was conspicuously closed. Addy frowned, not sure why Kile would cordon himself off in her dorm. Maybe he was working on a surprise for her?

She knocked once and opened the door, "Ki—" The name died in her mouth.

Kile was in there alright. And so was Astra. She was perched on the windowsill, her legs wrapped around Kile's back, both of her hands mussing his hair. As for his hands, they were lost somewhere halfway up the back of Astra's shirt. They both seemed to be solidly fused at the lips.

"Guys!" Addy exclaimed. Kile leant his face away quickly at the sound, apparently the first either of them had noticed of Addy's approach. It took a little longer to untangle their limbs. Both of their lips were obviously swollen and red, and their cheeks burst into red flames of embarrassment.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Astra rushed to explain.

Addy arched a brow, incredulous.

"Well, okay, it's what it looks like." Astra confessed. "But it doesn't mean anything!"

Addy lifted both brows high up, folding her arms in judgement.

"Fine! It means… _something_. But not what you think it means. It's just—"

Kile smoothed his hair as best he could without a mirror. "What's going on, Addy?"

"Your dad wants you to help carry some chairs downstairs. We're having a big, group lunch."

"Right." Kile nodded, swiping at his lips. "I'll grab a couple from the table and meet you down there."

"Kile?" Addy stopped him just as he was about to walk past her. "You might want to take another sixty seconds… for your mouth to look normal again."

Kile blushed furiously again, but he nodded and closed the door behind himself.

Addy waited for Astra to make a move.

"I… he… ugh." She slid from the windowsill to the floor and hugged her knees. "He's just… he's _Kile_ , you know? And we were in a room alone together for more than two minutes, so it… it's like trying to swim upstream, keeping my distance from that boy. Sometimes I just get tired and let the current sweep me up…"

"It was just a kiss, right?" Addy crossed over and slid down, joining her cousin on the floor.

"Yeah… a _really_ good kiss."

"It's not like the two of you swapped wedding vows, you know. It doesn't have to become a forever commitment just because you kissed him after a couple of years apart."

"I guess I thought I had more restraint than this. I thought I was… you know… _over him_. But I'm not." Astra sighed.

"If you're not, you're not." Addy shrugged. "Doesn't mean you won't ever be."

"It's just so sloppy!" Astra cried in despair. "I want to turn these feelings off. Or save them for later, when I'm ready to do something about them. Kile still has two years at school, and then who knows where he'll go?"

Addy considered her cousin for a minute, thinking through the predicament. "When he leaves school, he'll probably go to a major city. Maybe not in Angeles, but somewhere in Illéa, right?"

"Yeah."

"Aren't there professional dance companies in most of the major cities in Illéa? Couldn't the two of you pick one that works for both of you?"

Astra shook her head, "He needs to do what's best for him, and I need to do what's best for me."

"What if your professions aren't the only things you two should be considering, though." Addy suggested. "Maybe what's best for you, all around, is to be somewhere with Kile, dancing while he's interning at some architecture firm somewhere, sharing a tiny apartment and living off of cheap delivery food for a while. And if the dance company you're with isn't as prestigious as the Angeles Ballet, doesn't that just mean that you'll be qualified for bigger roles?"

It was obvious that Astra liked the mental image, but she shook her head to clear it out of her mind. She wasn't ready to compromise an inch of what she'd earned. Not yet.

Addy stood, then pulled her cousin to her feet. "You've got two more years until he goes anywhere at all, right? And you're planning to stay in Angeles and dance with the ballet until then, right?"

"In the corps or as a featured soloist, whatever they decide." Astra shrugged.

"Well, then you've got two years of Kile being just a car ride away. Maybe you don't need to plan any further into the future than that?"

"I don't know, Adds."

"What if he falls in love with someone else? It's obvious your feelings for him aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Won't you regret it if you lose him?"

"Sure." Astra admitted. "But… I just don't know if I'll regret it any more than losing focus on my career, just when I'm starting to get noticed. I don't know which regret I can live with for the rest of my life, I have to make a gamble. And my bet is that if I stay focused on dancing now, and if I'm patient and I work harder than anyone else in the company, there's nothing stopping me from becoming a prima ballerina, a superstar. But if I get distracted, if I start splitting my focus _now_ , that momentum will be gone. I've got the rest of my life to fall in love, don't I?"

"Of course."

"Now still isn't the right time. It's just not convenient right now."

Addy thought about Astra and Kile, how, as kids, they'd always been happier together than apart. Maybe Astra was right, and there was no need to compromise anything. Maybe she could have it all, an amazing career and a wildly romantic love story. The uncertainty, the fact that it was a gamble and nothing was guaranteed, was what made Addy so nervous about it all. "I don't know, Astra… I don't know if love, true love, is supposed to be convenient…"

Maxon's voice called up from downstairs, they were ready to eat. The cousin-sister-princesses set aside their conversation for another time, and hurried down to watch Lief and Rosie try risotto for the very first time.

* * *

"I can't eat this part." Rosie narrowed her eyes at her bowl.

Maisy was back from kickball, victorious, along with the rest of Orders family and Uncle Gerad. Uncle Aspen and Aunt Lucy had arrived (with Addy's gift of a mattress cushion in hand), so now everyone was squeezed into the downstairs suite, guards and all, for this Italian feast.

"Why can't you eat it, sweetheart?" America asked. Rosie was enjoying her meal from America's lap to save space.

"It's a weird _vegetable_." Rosie warned.

"You like vegetables." America reminded her. "Remember broccoli? And carrots?"

"This is not that." Rosie narrowed her eyes with something like hatred.

"What is it, then, Bud?" Maxon laughed. For his part, he had Lief in his lap and he was doing his best just to keep up with the fallen risotto that came off of Lief's spoon with every bite.

"I don't know…" Rosie puzzled.

"That?" Addy asked, cheerfully. "Oh, that's a mushroom, Bud. Mmmm." Addy took a big bite. "It's _very_ yummy, I can't believe that's a vegetable. It tastes _way_ better than asparagus."

"Is it good?" Rosie appealed to her best friend, Lief.

Lief shrugged, eyeing one of his own mushrooms. He sat aside his spoon and picked one up, sniffing it carefully, licking it, and then taking a nervous nibble. "I like it." Lief decided. "Daddy, will it make us big and strong?"

"Eating vegetables will always help make you big and strong." Maxon confirmed.

"That's true," Aspen added, "We don't even admit guards or soldiers to the army if they don't eat all of their vegetables. There's no point, because they won't be strong enough."

Lief studied the plates of the guards around them, then shoveled another mushroom in his mouth, nodding thoughtfully.

"At least taste it." America encouraged her youngest daughter.

"You can do it, Bud!" Leo cheered from across the table.

"Taste it, taste it, taste it!" Rogan chanted, and before long, the whole room was chanting and cheering Rosie on as she tried her first ever mushroom. She almost couldn't get it in her mouth because she was smiling so widely at the attention, but she made it in the end and the table grew quiet as they awaited her verdict. She smacked on the mushroom bite for a moment before announcing, "It's good!" and then the table erupted into cheers again.

* * *

When lunch was over, Mary pulled Addy aside upstairs for a moment.

"I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing here." Mary smiled shyly.

"I'm happy you're here!" Addy hugged her. "It's not the same, not having you at the Palace every day anymore."

Mary had left America's service nearly a year ago exactly, when her pregnancy had progressed to the point that she couldn't keep up with the physical demands of her job anymore. She was still a part of America's Queen's Council, and was still a frequent visitor to the Palace. Justin had kept on his job as Maxon's head butler, which meant that Mary and their baby son often came to enjoy lunch with him. Even so, Mary's absence was deeply felt every day, especially by America.

"I miss it, too. Maybe when Anthony is old enough for school, I'll find my way back as a Lady-in-Waiting. At least, that's what your mother and I daydream about when we're together."

"The whole Palace would be the better for it." Addy grinned.

"Now, listen Bird." Mary linked arms with Addy, drawing her toward the little room-turned-closet. "You may have noticed that most of the other students out there aren't exactly wearing couture."

"Yeah," Addy confessed, "I can see that those jeans and blouses weren't exactly hand-crafted from the finest fabrics by highly-skilled Palace-employed hands."

"They have their own charms though, don't they?"

"Casual clothes? _Real_ casual clothes?" Addy giggled, "Yeah! Even when I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt to volunteer at my dog shelter, I'm well-aware that my outfit is probably worth more money than the shelter staff might make in a month. I _always_ look different, even when I'm trying to blend in on royal tours. It would be _amazing_ to walk into a room and realize someone is wearing the same sweater as I am. I'd feel so… I don't know… _normal_."

Mary nodded with a knowing smile, opening the door to the room and ushering the Princess inside. "I had an idea that you might feel that way. Earlier in the summer, I took Anthony on a little stroll around town for some fresh air and sunshine, and while we were out I took note of the styles and fashions in the boutiques and clothing stores. The ones that cater to your age group, anyway."

Addy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "What did you do?"

"It was just a little project to keep me busy while Anthony was napping…" Mary confessed. "Here." She unzipped a long, loose clothing bag that took nearly one entire rack of the four that now lined the walls of the small spare room. On pulling the fabric protector away, Mary revealed her brand new creations.

 _Well._ For starters, there wasn't a pantsuit in sight.

Floral summer dresses, with leggings and cardigans to layer when the weather turned chillier, soft jeans tailored to fit Addy's body perfectly, blouses and sweaters and t-shirts and cute skirts that would hit _halfway up her thigh_ , and one piece that caught her attention especially. A hand-woven jumper with a black labrador needlepointed on the front. It was too heavy for daily-wear, Addy noticed as she softly ran her fingers over it.

"In case one of your classrooms is too cold." Mary said. "Or if it gets chilly in here at night. I though you might like a reminder of Wilberforth to keep with you."

Addy gulped down the lump in her throat, shoving away how much she already missed that sweet old puppy. " _Thank you_ , Mary."

"You're being given a small allowance of money, right?" Mary asked, stuffing her hands into her dress pockets.

"Yeah. Actually, Weaver's keeping it all for me. I think it's a security thing… If there's a long line at a shop, I think he'd rather I wait somewhere less open."

"He's going to take good care of you." Mary grinned. "He always has."

Addy knew that much. Legend had it, Weaver had been her personal guard since before she was even born, and that after she was born he'd completely committed himself to heading her personal security team so thoroughly, Uncle Aspen had had no choice but to give him the promotion.

Addy's dad used to say that it was the most important job in Illéa, keeping the heir safe. And as far back as Addy could possibly remember, Weaver had been with her, doing just that.

"In any event, this is only half of the gift." Mary said, nodding toward the clothes. "The other half is this." she held up a neatly folded square of paper with tidy writing inked in dark blue. "You'll probably realize halfway through the semester that you could do with another pair of socks, or you'll lose a scarf and need to replace it, or that rickety old dryer in the basement will eat one of your shirts." Mary said. "I know you've hardly ever shopped for your own day-to-day clothes before—"

"Well, Aunt Waverly and Auntie Nic like to take me shopping whenever I visit them." Addy pointed out. She didn't want to seem completely inept.

"In that case, you've hardly ever shopped _in your own country_ without the presence of a _Queen_." Mary amended with a giggle.

Addy couldn't argue there.

"There are a lot of clothing shops out there, especially now that the middle class is growing in this country and there's a market for casual, inexpensive clothing." Mary said, simply. "It can be intimidating trying to find a place that carries what you're looking for, because there's just so much out there that you've never had to wade through before, Princess." Mary held the paper out.

Addy tentatively accepted it, staring at it nervously, "What are those names?"

"These are the names of the stores that I browsed through for inspiration when I was making your new clothes. Or, at least, the ones that have alternate locations near your campus. It's a cheat sheet, Bird, a good place to start." Mary gulped, brushing a stray strand of red hair from Addy's face in a tender gesture. "You're going to have so much to worry about, being this far from your family, out amongst strangers, navigating the campus. You'll have to find a balance of getting enough to eat, enough sleep, and finding enough time to study and meet your obligations in between. The last thing I want you to do is feel helpless if you ever need something that we're too far away to give you. Finding a shop that will carry plenty of clothes for your size, age, and taste can be exhausting for _everyone_. So here's a head start." Mary closed Addy's hands around the folded square of paper.

Addy wrapped her arms tightly around Mary's shoulders, squeezing her in for a close hug. "Thank you." she whispered.

It was like a breath of fresh air, having a backup plan if something went wrong. Not that she anticipated all of her clothes going up in a plume of smoke, but what if they did? Her family would be hours away, and busy running the country. This was one less baseless anxiety to haunt her, come nightfall. Somehow, Mary had anticipated this one before Addy had. Maybe because Mary had dedicated a considerable amount of time to clothing both Addy and America over the years, and had developed an especial appreciation of what a comfort the right clothes at the right time could be.

Addy had a safety net, at least when it came to the clothing aspect of the basic necessities of human life. As for the other two, food and shelter, her godmother had seen to it that she'd have leftovers for days, and this whole dormitory situation seemed like it would work out just fine.

"You're _so_ welcome, my love." Mary replied, returning Addy's hug with equal fervor.

* * *

Mary wasn't the only one with a surprise in store for Addy. Maxon, May, and America fairly banished Addy from the upstairs suite for an hour, insisting that she and Weaver go to the campus bookstore and look up the suggested study materials for the placement examinations Addy would be taking at the end of the week.

Aspen volunteered to go with them, but not in any ordinary capacity. He was going to follow behind ten or twenty feet and spy on them, taking notes for areas where Addy's security detail could stand improvement.

It was also a chance for Addy to get used to the new member of her team, Aaliyah. She was one of the first women to complete Illéan military training, and had been hand-chosen for Addy's team by Aspen, himself, because she looked younger than she was. This way, Addy would never go to a public bathroom or women's changing room unguarded. Not to mention, deceptively small Aaliyah would draw significantly less attention around campus than big, tall Weaver or the rest of Addy's middle-aged, male security team.

Aaliyah (technically known as Officer Veer), Commander Weaver, and Addy (and General Leger, creeping along the back) had a nice walk to the campus bookstore. Aaliyah showed Addy her favorite series of comic books, and Addy wandered through the extensive poetry section to her heart's content.

Addy found a _beautiful_ book bag on display right next to the entrance examination study booklets. It was dark blue, not quite navy in color, with brown leather straps and bronze buckles, and though the durable fabric was clearly machine-printed, it had been designed to look as if an artist had hand-painted tiny, bright flower petals all over the bag. Addy made serious puppy-dog eyes at Weaver, convincing him to hand over just a little bit more of her allowance than they'd been planning to spend that day, to cover the cost of the bag. After all, she needed _something_ to help her carry her materials around campus.

In the end, Addy, Aaliyah, and Weaver (and Aspen at a far distance), emerged from the bookstore with everything Addy would need until she took her placement examination and learned which classes she qualified for.

On the walk back to her dormitory, Addy was already planning for their next trip to the campus bookstore, when she would need to buy her textbooks. She was scheming ways to talk Weaver into letting her splurge on the extra cute notebooks for sale next to the study snacks. It was _essential_ to be in a good mood while studying, and those colorful zigzags and polkadots would make Addy feel _so_ cheerful every time she saw them. Or, at least, that was the sales pitch for Weaver that she was working on in her mind.

But whether she ended up with the notebooks or not, it was _nice_ to be away from the serious Palace stationary and leather-bound folders stamped with official crests for once. Maybe, when she was Queen, she would decree that the Palace be filled with purple pens and notebooks with a rainbow of colorful lined paper inside. _And_ pictures of baby animals on the covers.

She couldn't stop herself from giggling out loud at the thought.

* * *

While Commander Weaver and Aaliyah received their notes from General Leger, Addy climbed up the stairs to show off her new book bag to her siblings and cousins. What she found when she emerged at the top of the stairs, however, stopped her in her tracks.

Her dad, the King of Illéa, was staring at the wall between the bedroom she'd chosen and the nook with the bookshelves in it. His tongue was poked out the side of his mouth in concentration, his head fully tilted to the side, as he took in his masterpiece, noticed what was off about it, and stepped forward, adjusting a framed photograph just so.

"Daddy?" Addy squeaked.

From floor to ceiling there was now a collage of photographs of the best parts of Addy's life at the Palace. She saw the tree castle and the swimming pool, individual photographs of her family and people like Gavril and Silvia. There was a much younger Wilberforth, surrounded by the Palace kid gang shortly after they adopted him. There was a three or four year old Addy, her mother and father crawled into bed with her, reading her a bedtime story.

"Surprise." Maxon turned and smiled. "What do you think?"

"It's a tree?" Addy asked, finally managing to look past the pictures themselves and make out the artistry of the arrangement of the collage.

"It is!" Maxon beamed, opening an arm wide to her. "What do you think of it?"

Addy stepped forward and entered his one-sided embrace. "I love it."

"The frames were cheating, really." Maxon confessed. "It was a snap to hang them up while you were gone."

"Dad, why did you do this?"

"Well, little love… the pictures Uncle Aspen brought back from scouting this place were a bit bleak." Maxon kissed her temple. "You're going to be living here for a couple of years, and I wanted it to feel more like home. We can't paint the walls or make permanent alterations, but we're allowed to hang pictures. If you get tired of it, you can take it all down. Maybe you could replace the photographs with pictures of the new friends you'll make?" he suggested.

Addy shook her head, "I don't want to change a thing. It's _breathtaking_."

He smiled at her praise and the two of them took a few more moments to hold each other close and admire Maxon's new creation.

Then, from behind the closed door to Addy's bedroom, they heard applause.

"What—" Addy began to ask.

Maxon chuckled, "I'd guess your Aunt May and Aunt Kenna are done arranging their surprise. Let's go find out."

Bewildered, Addy followed her father over to the door as he knocked and begged entrance.

"It's ready!" Rosie's voice reassured him from the inside.

"Alright then." Maxon turned, offering Addy a hand. She accepted it and followed him in.

Gathered inside were America, Maisy, Rosie, Astra, Aunt Kenna, and Aunt May, somehow managing not to look at all squished in the little space.

Furthermore, it was clear that they'd all been busy. Addy's bed was now made with the cushion gifted to her by Uncle Aspen and Aunt Lucy securely tucked under her fitted sheet. Her shelves were arranged delicately with the belongings she'd brought from home, and it was all laid out with the sort of attention to detail that Addy associated with her mother. The window on the back wall, under which her bed was positioned, was now draped with bright, cheerful blue curtains. And on her ceiling, there were now several dozen ceramic stars.

"Wow…" Add looked up at them all.

Aunt May took Maxon's place at her side and swept her into a hug. "It kills me that they won't let me do a full mural in here. You kids have _never_ lived in a bedroom that I haven't painted for you. I had a theme all picked out and everything!"

"What was it going to be?" Addy laughed.

" _The Riviera at dusk_ ," Aunt May enticed. "Lots of dark purples and a boardwalk, and little paper lanterns draped along one of the walls…"

"That would have been nice." Addy admitted. "Maybe you can use that one next time."

"Maybe." Aunt May pouted. Then she brightened, remembering her brilliant solution to the problem. "Maxon mentioned we could stick things on the walls, though, so your Aunt Kenna and I dug out some old ceramic supplies from Grandma's house and we got crafty."

The stars above were large and small, and sprayed with something that made them seem to be twinkling, even in the cheap, yellow overhead light of her dormitory.

"They remind me of the ones in the nursery." Addy admitted, thinking of the now unoccupied room in her parents' suite.

"Funny you should mention that." May grinned. "Rosie, would you do the honors?"

Rosie nodded, stood up high on her tippy toes, and flicked off the light switch on Addy's wall.

The stars on the ceiling (and, now Addy was noticing, also along the tops of her walls) glowed beautiful, pale yellow.

"That nursery is what gave me the idea." May confessed. "Those stars were the first mural I ever made for you kids, and I've always kept that celestial theme going in your bedrooms since then."

Addy realized this was true. Jamesy's mural was jungle themed, but it featured a big bright moon. Until recently, Maisy's had been an African savannah themed mural, with an orange sunrise seemingly bursting through the wall to shine on a series of adorable animal friends. Now it was soccer-themed, one of the walls painted bright green, with the same markings to scale as if it was a soccer field, and posters all over the place of her favorite players. Even so, in a ring above Maisy's ceiling fan, there spun out a swirling, gorgeous sun that seemed to flicker when the fan was on.

"It looks so much better in here." Addy half-laughed, half-sighed with relief.

"We think so." Aunt Kenna agreed.

"Do you like it?" Rosie asked with baited breath. Clearly all of the Singers and Schreaves in this room had had some part to play in the making of this surprise.

"I _love_ it." Addy grinned, as Rosie gasped out a relieved breath. "It's perfect."

* * *

The rest of the royal family needed to be back to the Palace by dinner time, so all too soon Addy was hugging each of her family members 'goodbye'.

She begged Astra to keep an eye on Maisy, knowing Maisy might need a little sisterly-guidance if the teasing and bullying started again.

She made Jamesy promise to join an outdoorsy camping club, and swore that if he did, she'd guilt their dad into camping with him every once in a while.

She thanked her Aunts and Uncles for all of their help, and was lifted off her feet in one of the tightest hugs of her life, by her Uncle James.

"Be good, Bird." he whispered.

"I promise."

"Learn lots."

"Okay."

"We'll miss you."

"I'll be back." she kissed him on the cheek.

He forced a big smile and pretended he had something caught in his eye as he wiped at them on his way out the door, to the car.

The twins wished her luck, Uncle Gerad slipped her an extra twenty dollars for "pizza or something sometime", Silvia and Mary fussed until they couldn't fuss anymore and finally joined the others in the car.

Lief buried his face in her shoulder, not wanting to show everyone how sad he was. Addy hugged him close, "It's okay, Lief. I'm going to miss you, too. You know that feeling in your chest?"

He nodded, piteously.

"I have it, too."

"You should come home, then." he reasoned.

"I will soon. It's only a few weeks until Rosie's birthday, you know."

"Yeah." he sniffled, looking up.

"You know when Aunt May goes on an airplane far away, and she comes back in a few weeks?"

"Yeah."

"Pretend that's what I'm doing, and I'll be home to visit before you know it."

He rubbed his hair, just like a miniature version of Maxon. Then he waited for Rosie's turn.

"Bye bye, Bud." Addy heaved a huge sigh. She'd expected tears from the youngest Schreave at this point, but Rosie wasn't crying. Whatever the little girl was feeling, it went beyond tears.

Rosie placed both hands on Addy's cheeks and kissed her nose. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby sister." Addy kissed Rosie's nose, too.

"Don't forget my telephone calls." Rosie warned.

"I promise."

America swept Addy into an enormous hug. "I love you so much, Bird. More than words could ever say. More than numbers could ever count."

"I know. I love you, too, Mom."

America kissed both of Addy's cheeks. "I left one more surprise for you. It's on your bed upstairs."

"Okay." Addy smiled weakly.

Maxon took his turn slowly. He pressed several kisses to her forehead. "It's not fair." he said. "Not fair that you've grown up so quickly. I wanted another hundred years with you as my baby girl."

Addy sighed against her father's strong chest, listening for his heartbeat in there. "I'm still your baby girl."

"You _always_ will be." he agreed.

This was Addy's last chance, she realized with a start.

She could undo _everything_ with one word. She could climb in the car with her family and ride back to the Palace and be the kid she'd been just yesterday, again. It would be so easy.

But if she didn't move, if she stood here and watched them leave, there was no going back. It was the beginning of independence, of adulthood, and there was no undoing that. She believed that her time here at university would be wonderful, but she knew that it would change her and that she would have no control over the way in which she was changed. Probably in a good way. But no matter what, she'd be different when she was done.

From the doorway, Addy watched her parents kiss each other goodbye, then watched her father clip Rosie into her safety seat with a hair kiss and a wave to the rest of the car. Maxon's car left first and Addy stared after it until it turned left at the end of the road and disappeared. The guards stood sentry, listening carefully to their radios for the all clear, and then waved for America's car to follow. Now that the heir was in a secure location, the rest of the royal family could afford to stagger their trips more closely together.

The last of Addy's family, Uncle Ryland, waved to Addy from the front walkway as he and several other guards who'd only come up for the day returned to their shared car and drove off. Addy guessed Aunt May would be dropped off at the rental car center near the edge of town. She'd meet Uncle Ry there. They'd pick something fun to borrow for their date night, maybe a convertible like Kile had. They'd enjoy a moonlit drive back to the Palace and tomorrow Aunt May would take it for a drive around the city before returning it to the local rental car center.

Addy blinked back from her daydream, realizing she was alone.

Her guards were in their rooms behind closed doors, not making a peep.

She looked around, not exactly sure what to do next.

She had nowhere to be until Friday, when her examinations were scheduled. No meetings, no lessons, no family time, no volunteer work, no episodes of the _Report_ to record, not even a Wilberforth to walk.

Not sure what else to do with herself, Addy turned around and went back upstairs.

It was eerie up there, so empty when it had been full to the brim all day long. Suddenly, the little student house seemed bigger than the Palace. Addy yearned for roommates to help her fill the empty space.

When she opened the door to her beautiful little bedroom, she found the final surprise her mother had left her. Elephanty, the stuffed elephant that Addy'd had since the day she was born, sat cheerfully on her pillow, waiting for her.

Addy gulped down a sob at the sight of him and dived onto the bed, not as plush as her palace mattress, but certainly soft enough to sleep on. She scooped Elephanty into her arms and hugged him closely, snuggling in.

It was quiet in her upstairs room. Not the peaceful kind of quiet accompanied by a gentle breeze or the hum of a ceiling fan; no, this was the kind of quiet that pounded. Addy's ears roared with the quiet. No brothers or sisters or cousins, no servants or assistants, nothing. She'd _never_ known a nothing quiet before. She strained her ears, trying to hear the guards downstairs. The scrape of a chair, the opening of a door, anything. Whatever they were doing down there, Addy couldn't hear a single sound of it.

There was no telling how long she laid there with Elephanty, frozen with indecision about what to do next. It was too soon to call home, her family wouldn't have made it yet. She could go pick at the leftover risotto, but the mushrooms would make her think of how much she missed Rosie and Lief and everyone else.

At a certain point, it occurred to Addy that she'd _done_ it.

She'd gotten what she'd wanted. The her of one year ago never would have believed it possible, but here she was. She, Adrienne Emlyn Schreave, was at university.

It was hard to believe that her wildest dream had come true, and all she was feeling was miserable. The reality was a lot more lonely than the dream, she realized.

On her bedside table, one of her loved ones had placed a copy of Addy's favorite fairytale, and Addy stuck a hand out to grab it and pull it close to the little roll that she, Elephanty, and the blankets had made. She started with chapter one, swiping at the tired, frightened, anxious tears that crept down her cheeks.

The sun was getting low out her window, there was hardly enough light left to read by. Aunt May and Aunt Kenna's stars were glowing brightly, and there was a lamp at her bedside courtesy of Aunt Silvia. Addy clicked it on and sniffled, piteously. She shouldn't have been so mean to Aunt Silvia. If she had it to do over again, if Aunt Silvia was standing in this room right now and there was a truck full of ostentatious Palace furniture out front, Addy would take it all.

Though the vases truly had been _hideous_.

Addy had just about made up her mind to go and have a drink of water (with Elephanty, of course), when she heard the first sound from another human being in what seemed like ages. A knock at the front door of the house.

Addy sat up, craning her neck to listen. Two low male voices, and then steps on the stairs. Addy threw the blankets off of her and hurried over to her bedroom door, cracking it open.

Kile appeared, silhouetted by the light from downstairs. The rest of the second floor had been neglected into darkness because, Addy was reminded with a jolt, there was no one else to do something as simple as turn the lights on or off. Kile knew what to do, though, he flipped the switch at the top of the stairs with practiced ease, and grinned.

"Yeah," he said at her puffy eyes and red nose, "I thought so." He also spared a glance at Elephanty, whom Addy had forgotten to leave on the bed. "Come on, Bird."

"Where are we going?" Addy was happy to obey, tossing Elephanty gently onto her bed and then joining Kile in the common area. Now that she could see down the stairs, she spotted Meri waiting for them at the bottom. Meri, too, sported the telltale signs of having spent some of her first few hours without her family in tears.

Kile and Addy joined her down there as Meri said, "Kile came to get me, too."

"We're going out for dinner." Kile answered Addy's question. "Grab a guard and let's go."

Addy glanced at the now congregated guards poking their heads around the staircase. Aaliyah grinned and took a big step forward before pausing and turning back to her commanding officer.

Weaver looked between Aaliyah and Addy, a war raging inside himself. He gulped, not sure if he was ready to let Addy go out, without her family, without _him_ for the first time in her life.

"We'll be close." Kile promised, and it seemed to help Weaver that Addy was going out with the children of two fellow officers.

Weaver nodded ever so slightly, and Aaliyah pumped her fist in celebration, "Where to?" she asked, picking up a communication radio from a charging base near the front door.

"How do you three feel… about eating the _best cheeseburgers in the world_?" Kile said, dramatically. "There's this diner, it's about a fifteen minute walk from here, and I've been craving it _all summer_. They've got this magical sauce, and they slather it all over the burger _and_ the fries—" He made a grunt of longing.

Addy let out a watery laugh, wrapping one arm around Meri and stuffing her other hand into her pocket. "Uncle Gerad gave me twenty dollars for food." she pulled it out to show them.

"Addy's buying!" Kile grinned, opening the door for the ladies to exit before him.

Addy paused just before crossing over the threshold and turned back, finding Weaver watching them go with the air of a nervous parent. Addy mouthed 'Thank you', and grinned.

Weaver shook his head, trying to bite back a smile and failing. "Go on." he waved her out, still shaking his head. As he closed the door behind them, Addy could hear him grumble, "They never trained us how to resist that _smile_."

Addy laughed as Meri laced fingers with her and tugged her down the front steps, telling her all about her new roommate as they went. "She's got _two_ boyfriends, Addy! And it's not even a secret! They both visited today—"

"Were they cute?" Addy asked, breathing in the warm night air.

"Yeah," Meri confessed with a giggle, "They were _gorgeous_."

"We've got some secrets to learn from that roommate, don't we?" Addy joked.

"Can we not?" Kile complained. "I don't want to think about the two of you learning _any_ kind of… _romantic_ secrets." he shuddered.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you, Kile!" Addy teased, thinking back to his escapade with Astra earlier in the afternoon, but at Kile's widened death-glare/surrender, she let the matter drop.

Meri was only too happy to ignore it, telling Addy about her housemates and all the interesting things they were studying, and halfway between her house and this supposedly life-changing diner, Addy realized that the knot in her chest was loosening.

If she could make it through this night, she could make it through all the rest of them. And, more importantly than she'd ever realized before, she wasn't going to have to do it alone.


	11. Chapter 10

On her first morning in her new dormitory, Addy woke up feeling like she'd slept hard. She was rested, yes, but her eyes were sticky and her body sore, as if she hadn't so much as rolled over in the night. She'd been more exhausted than she'd realized after the big move, not to mention the emotional toll of the day.

She stretched in bed and blinked up at the ceramic stars above her, glittering in the early morning sun. Elephanty had fallen overboard in the night, and she swept a hand down to rescue him and tuck him back into bed with her.

It was unsettling that Bridget wasn't in here, opening the curtains and asking if she wanted breakfast in her bedroom and reporting where the rest of her family would be eating. They rarely managed a breakfast all together in one room, but Bridget always made sure Addy knew if a few of her family had managed to congregate so that Addy wouldn't miss out.

There was no sound of running bathwater, no offering of a cool glass of water to help Addy's senses sharpen and awaken.

Her Dad wasn't sitting on the edge of her bed, as he sometimes did right before going into the office, telling her about his schedule for the day and the challenges he'd face. He liked to teach her about his strategies in dealing with certain advisors or diplomats and get her opinion, because he never wanted his job to seem like a mysterious, impossible thing. He wanted her to know the day-to-day, and know that she could do it, too, someday.

Rosie wasn't leaping onto the bed, accidentally elbowing Addy in the ribs, asking if Addy would demand donuts for breakfast because no one ever listened to her, but if the next _Queen_ asked for donuts, the chef would _have_ to listen.

There wasn't even a Wilberforth nuzzling at her foot or hand (whichever was draped over the edge of the bed at the moment), asking to be taken for his morning walk.

Addy was on the brink of that desperate loneliness again, a chasm in which Addy had yet to find the bottom, but then she heard the muffled, distant sound of her guards finishing their morning maintenance workout in the backyard. She stretched out of bed and crept over to her window, drawing back the blue curtains to peek out. Aaliyah was taunting Weaver as she counted his pushups, probably insinuating that her dead great-grandmother could do better pushups than he was doing, and another of Addy's guards, Officer Trawler, had the sense to remind Aaliyah to keep her voice down, not to wake the Princess.

Addy giggled and fully drew the curtain back to let in the morning. She could figure this out. No, she'd never had an unstructured day in her entire life, but it wasn't as if she needed a maid to draw her bathwater. She could start everything off by taking a shower all on her own.

And she didn't need a world-class chef to prepare her breakfast, either. On the way to dinner the previous night, Kile had pointed out a campus café, not owned by the university but allowed to operate their business here as long as they paid a little extra in rent every month. The fact that it wasn't a university dining hall meant that the food was _much_ better, and the coffee was a life sustaining nectar, at least to hear Kile describe it. Addy could go there for breakfast.

And Addy didn't need a private tutor in order to study. She could get started preparing for her placement examinations all on her own.

Part of her heart still stumbled to think of her family at the Palace. Her father's morning meetings, Jameson's first time attending them in Addy's absence. She ached to be with them, but at the same time, there was something so satisfying in that first morning shower. She made the temperature slightly cooler than Bridget usually would have, just to try something different, then laughed at her own silliness as if she'd gone mad with power.

The next morning, Addy awoke and the lonely chasm was a few inches father away from her. She had a ledge to stand on.

Instead of studying at her dormitory, she studied in the café. Weaver went with her and remained vigilant as she moved from her literature packet to her mathematics packet. That evening after dinner, Rosie called her on the telephone (with some clear coaching from America in the background), and Addy told her a bedtime story from memory. It was the one about a girl with a magical bean that was planted into the earth and became an enormous beanstalk stretching all the way to the sky. America interrupted the story halfway through to whisper that Rosie was out cold.

For Addy, it was a little harder to fall asleep that night. She had a smile on her cheeks at having gotten to hear her mother and her baby sister's voices, but she missed them ten times more once they'd hung up. It was hard to have a piece of them, and not have all of them. The chasm inched closer. It occurred to Addy that, learning to be away from the people she loved was not going to be a linear process. It was going to be a give and take, and some times were going to be harder than others. She tucked herself in and repeated the beanstalk fairytale to herself that night, then waited for morning to come.

When it did, Addy awoke to find Meri bearing two muffins and two cups of specialty coffee (caramel creations that Addy had been too intimidated to try thus far). But most importantly, Meri came bearing gossip. One of her housemates was a third year, and had warned Meri that the placement exams that all of the first years would be taking on Friday were designed to be un-passable. They were meant to be a true gauge of knowledge, so the difficulty of the questions ranged from the very basics of each subject to nuances that only doctoral candidates might theorize about.

Addy winced. An un-passable test. She'd never had to learn how to cope with not knowing the answers on an hours-long examination. When she'd sat the entrance exam that had gotten her into Kings University, she'd only had the stamina to finish strong because she'd been buoyed by the realization that she was getting so many of the answers right. How would she keep going, knowing exactly where she was failing but being unable to do anything about it? That was a kind of mental fortitude she'd never learned before.

Maybe that was something that university was supposed to be teaching her.

Meri changed the subject, much to Addy's relief. The boyfriends had been back, and this time they'd invited Meri to join them and Meri's roommate on a trip to the campus swimming pool. During the day it was for university athletes to swim laps and train, but after hours it was free for all university students. It was always packed during welcome week before classes and homework began, but it was fun if you had a group.

" _Was_ it fun?" Addy asked, grimacing at the mental image of so many sweaty students huddled together, jostling each other in a crowded swimming pool.

"Yeah! I only got in the water for a minute, mostly I sat poolside and watched the people. Karra—" Meri's roommate, Addy remembered, "and I took turns pointing out the cutest guys and imagining what they'd be like on dates. Like, if they'd be self-obsessed or really considerate, if they'd try to kiss you at the end of the night because they felt like they'd earned it even if the date was pretty bad, that kind of thing…"

Addy shook her head, "You're so boy-crazy, Mer."

"I don't think that's a bad thing. Why shouldn't I be boy-crazy?"

Addy shrugged, "There's nothing wrong with it, I guess, it just seems kind of—"

"What?" Meri narrowed her eyes over her salted caramel whipped cream.

"Frivolous?"

Meri picked at her muffin and said, "You don't get to critique my hobbies until you find a few of your own, _Princess_."

"I'm sorry, Meri." Addy knew she was in trouble when her best friend used Addy's title. "I didn't mean to offend you. I like that you have fun looking at boys, I like that you enjoy… kissing and things. I wish I had a little more of your carefreeness, really."

Meri bit her lip, sizing up her friend. "It's not a fair comparison, Addy. You don't get to have any fun when you're dating, because it's all a job interview for future King."

"Prince Consort." Addy reminded her.

"Right." Meri said. "I can see where that would take away some of the joy in boy-watching."

Addy shrugged, "I can watch them on your behalf, though."

"Let me know if you spy any winners on your side of campus, and I'll keep an eye out for Consort-potential on mine."

Addy grinned and devoured another bite of her muffin, not bothering to remind Meri that, even if they found the _perfect_ Prince Consort at this school, Addy was already locked into a Selection. When it came to that, her choice had already been made.

* * *

Every morning that Addy ignored her instincts and forced herself out of bed, instead of cuddling with Elephanty and wishing she were home, got a little bit easier. She buried herself in studying, but she tried to convince herself to find a new place out of her house to do some of her workbooks every day. She found a nice window seat at the library, a shady tree trunk curved like a chair in the park, and a secluded corner in one of the larger dining halls that allowed Addy unlimited refills of food and drink, and virtually no interruptions to her studying.

Friday dawned, grey and foggy, but Addy was ready. She'd gone to bed early the night before, and hurried down the stairs and out into the backyard to run a few laps with the guards. She wanted to get her blood pumping.

She took an extra brisk shower, using a shampoo that tingled and smelled strongly of mint, waking up more of her senses.

It was Trawler's turn to go with Addy for the day, but Weaver insisted he be the one to escort her to and from this very important exam. When they stopped at the bakery for breakfast, Weaver paid for Addy's extra shot cream coffee and large bowl of cinnamon oatmeal himself, rather than spending any of Addy's allowance on it. It was his gift to her, because he wanted her to be energized and focused.

When she got to the lecture hall where the test was being administered (twenty minutes early, because she'd allowed extra time in case she got lost), Addy chose a seat under a light to avoid eyestrain and far from the windows to avoid distraction.

And then she waited.

She tried not to think of how important doing well on this placement exam was to her future. The bargain she'd struck to be able to go to university demanded that she place out of at least one year of classes right off the bat. If she didn't do well enough on this test, it was going to be nearly impossible for her to finish University in two years. In fact, the Palace might call the whole deal off. She was only sixteen, but she needed to be performing at a _minimum_ as well as an eighteen year old. Miss Alvaraz had seemed confidant that Addy could do it.

Now it was Addy's job to prove her right.

Meri wasn't in Addy's examination group, it turned out. They'd all been divided up alphabetically by last name, and _L_ s were not in the same hall as _S_ s. Still, Addy thought of her friend when the test packets were handed out and Addy read the first question in the Sciences section.

 _1\. In the realm of physics, what prominent feature denotes a symmetrical system?_

In her head, Addy swore upon all that was holy. She knew what all of those words meant individually, but somehow didn't have a clue what the packet was asking for when it strung them all together like that. Addy sighed and moved on, not wanting to waste time on something she had no good clue about.

Luckily, the next question was about taxonomy, and Addy could write about kingdoms and phylums all day long. About five years earlier, Miss Alvaraz had made a board game out of that unit for Addy, Meri, Leo, and Rogan to play, and it had been such fun that Addy _still_ remembered most of the information.

Addy tried not to let the more difficult questions get to her. She tried not to let fatigue get to her. She tried not to let the stares of the other students in the lecture hall that she could somehow physically feel on her back, get to her. She didn't know what they were waiting for her to do as they stared at the princess in their midsts. Were they expecting her to ace this? Were they expecting her to fail?

When it came to the social sciences and the literature portions, at least, Addy held her own fairly well. And four hours later, when time was _finally_ up, Addy wanted nothing more than to hide in her dormitory forever. She let Weaver insist that they stop by a dining hall and get lunch, first, but she carried her sandwich and apple in a paper bag, waiting to consume it until she was in the sanctuary of her rooms.

She'd need at least a week to recover before she'd want to read or think about _anything._ She needed to bury herself in blankets, secure in the knowledge that a hundred university students weren't all staring at her anymore.

She nibbled at her lunch, but she was feeling thoroughly demoralized. For the first time since leaving home five days ago, Addy was the one to initiate a telephone call to the Palace.

"Bird?" America's voice answered, worried and surprised. Addy had used the private number, the one that only close friends and family had, that bypassed the Palace secretaries who would usually direct calls.

"Hi Mom." Addy couldn't believe what a relief it was to hear her voice. "What am I interrupting?"

It was early afternoon on a Friday, Addy knew she'd be interrupting _something_ important.

"Nothing, sweetheart, I'm having a late lunch with your father."

Addy gulped, "Daddy?"

There was a shuffle, and then Maxon's chipper voice came through the phone, "Hi, little Love!"

Addy laughed at how happy he sounded, but it was a wet laugh, a choked, tearful laugh. "Hi, Dad."

"Oh, Birdy…" America again. They must have their faces pressed together, sharing the phone. "Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sad." Addy promised, wiping her cheeks furiously. "I think I'm just tired…"

"You had your placement exams today." Maxon said, understandingly. "How do you think it went?"

"I have no idea… I don't know what a pass or a fail even looks like on that test… it was _so_ hard." Addy sniffled. "I did everything I could… I studied all week long, I used all my best tricks this morning, before the test started… I just don't know if it was enough." Addy shook her head, realizing. "I don't know if my best was good enough. I've never not been good enough before…"

Her parents were quiet for a moment. It occurred to Addy that they might be sharing one of their infamous silent conversations. The ones where it seemed like they could read each other's minds, just by sharing a look.

"I'm proud of you, Adrienne." Maxon said, seriously.

"How can you say that? What if I failed? What if they can't place me in any courses because it turns out, I'm not _really_ good enough to be here and this was all just some big mistake?"

"I'd be proud, even if you failed." Maxon said steadily. "Perhaps _especially_ if you failed."

"What? _Why_?"

"You're taking on a task that it truly, truly challenging. Frankly, it's good practice. If you think that being the reigning monarch of Illéa is not truly, truly challenging, you have another thing coming on your ascension day." he warned her. "And if you think I've never set out to do something difficult for this country, and then failed, you really haven't been paying attention, baby Bird. Failure is a big part of this. And if your time at Kings University teaches you nothing else but how to fail and then get up and try again, it will already have been well worth the time and energy."

"Okay." Addy sniffled.

"Addy, there's nothing you can do between now and when your results come back in." America said soothingly. "Go see a movie or something. Have some fun. _Relax._ You did everything you could possibly do, and now it's out of your hands."

Addy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the knot in her chest loosening. Everything was going to be okay, even if she'd totally failed. "Okay. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Dad."

"I love you, Addy." she could hear his goofy smile through the phone.

"I love you, too."

"Did you eat a good lunch?" America asked.

Addy eyed her picked over sandwich, "I'm working on it."

"You'll feel better once you've eaten. Your father and I need to hurry up and eat, too, or we'll be late for a meeting. We'll talk to you later." America promised. Not necessarily later that night, but later in general. It was more comforting than 'goodbye'.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later." Addy vowed, too, and then she dropped the telephone back onto its receiver.

Addy held on tight to the warm feeling that hearing their voices had given her as she nibbled at her sandwich and mentally regrouped. She'd be okay. Maybe the test hadn't been as much of a train wreck as it had felt…

Downstairs, there was a knock, and Addy abandoned her lunch to hurry down the steps and see who it was.

Aaliyah was the one to answer the door, revealing a very disgruntled Meri.

"Hey, Meri." Addy called.

"Addy!" Meri whined, holding out her arms. Addy laughed and hurried the rest of the way down the stairs to embrace her best friend.

"You didn't like it either?" Addy asked.

"It was _horrible_." Meri cried. Then she turned to Aaliyah, and even Weaver, who was reading a book on their sofa in the guards' sitting room. "Kill me." She begged, dramatically.

Aaliyah laughed, Weaver blinked.

"I'm not kidding. I know my Daddy has taught you probably thirty ways to kill an attacker with your bare hands. Well guess what? If you don't kill me now, I'm going to pinch the Princess." Meri threatened, thumb and forefinger extended menacingly toward Addy's arm.

" _Hey_." Addy playfully swatted her hand away.

"That exam was _torture_ ," Meri whined, "It should be illegal. How could you let them do that to us?" Meri glared at the guards again.

"Ignore her." Addy encouraged Aaliyah and Weaver, dragging Meri upstairs.

Meri was not interested in anything but curling up in bed and complaining loudly. Since Addy's was the only bed with actual sheets and blankets, Addy and Meri both piled in like they'd done at countless sleepovers as children.

Meri blinked up at the ceramic stars on the ceiling, transfixed by their sparkles, and intermittently burst out with, " _What_ was that thing about imaginary numbers?" or "Oh God, remember that thing about the salons of the 19th century Académie de peinture et sculpture? For crying out loud."

Addy giggled at that one, "I think they were trying to get you to talk about late 19th century impressionist painters. And how, when a governmental body like the Académie controls all access to art, creative expression can become stifled and entire artistic movements, like the impressionists, could be silenced before they're even started."

"I should have paid more attention during French lessons." Meri bemoaned. "Addy, I don't like university anymore."

"Already? Classes haven't even started. What about the boys?"

"I'm old enough to date the new guard recruits now. I should have just stayed at the Palace and ogled _them_."

"Your dad is their general. I'm pretty sure they're not an option for you, Mer." Addy snuggled in, resting her head on Meri's shoulder.

"We could be like Romeo and Juliet, a forbidden love."

"Romeo and Juliet both got stabbed in the end."

"Ugh. Fine." Meri conceded, swiping a hand over her long blonde hair, inadvertently flinging some strands across Addy's face. "I won't drop out. But I don't have to be happy about it."

Addy brushed Meri's hair away and said, "We should have a sleepover tonight. We should go to the store and buy some brownie mix and a board game and have a good, old fashioned sleepover." It was weird to call their sleepovers 'old fashioned'. They'd had their last sleepover of childhood just about a month ago.

"That sounds fun. You know, Karra's been hinting that she might like the room one night for some… extracurricular boyfriend activities…"

Addy's eyebrows raised in surprise and then narrowed in confusion. "How does that work with two boyfriends? Do you think they all… _sleep_ … together?" Addy's cheeks flushed pink, and she hadn't even managed to say the word 'sex'.

"I don't think the boys are into each other…" Meri mused. "I think they're friends, but I haven't seen any romantic affection between them. I think they probably take turns with her."

"Wow."

"I know."

"I've never even kissed a boy, and this girl is two years older than me, and she's got _double_ boyfriends." Addy sighed at her own inexperience.

"Don't be jealous of her. You're going to be the envy of polyamorous people everywhere soon enough." Meri encouraged.

"What do you mean?"

"Your Selection, of course! You'll have 35 boyfriends at the same time. Karra's got _nothing_ on you."

Addy laughed at the sheer absurdity of dating 35 boys at once, never mind that it was her actual future.

* * *

Addy spent the rest of that weekend relaxing. She went to a new student luncheon at the student center, and though she met and talked to some really nice people, she didn't have very much in common with anyone. She had lunch with Kile afterward, and he promised her it would get easier once she was meeting students in her own department. Then they'd have similar schedules and professional interests, guaranteed.

Addy allowed herself a whole hour on the telephone with Astra one evening. Astra's long string of auditions for the Angeles Ballet had paid off, she was headed in to sign a two year contract with them the very next morning. It was the most exciting thing Astra had ever done.

In return, Addy told Astra practically every single detail from her first week on campus, and the two of them started planning a reunion for a weekend that Astra would have off of rehearsals in late October. Astra wanted to spend the night at Addy's house and see the bakery and the special study tree in the park with the perfect trunk for lounging against, and _everything_ that was making Addy happy so far from home.

Having something like that to look forward to did wonders for Addy's outlook. Not to mention, it would be time to visit the Palace and her family for Rosie's birthday soon enough.

For the first time, that night, Addy didn't fall asleep wishing she was in her room in the Palace. She didn't wake up the next morning yearning for Wilberforth or Bridget. She was settled in, and content to be exactly where she was.

On Sunday afternoon, an envelope was left in Addy's mailbox. Inside, the time and place of Addy's appointment with her advisor. At that appointment, she'd find out how she'd done on the examination, choose her classes for the upcoming semester accordingly, and make a general graduation plan that would have her finished with her degree in two short years.

Addy was half an hour early for fear of being late to her appointment, and waited nervously on the sofa outside of her advisor's office, offering awkward smiles whenever a student would walk by on their way to one of the other advisor's offices and do a comical double take at the future Queen of Illéa sitting next to a bodyguard on an old, leather couch.

She should have brought a book, she lamented. She hadn't brought one because she'd known she'd be too distracted, waiting for her test results, to focus. But she should have brought one, anyway, just to have something to stare at while she waited.

Finally, the girl with the appointment before Addy's was finished. She was tall and slender, with delicate gold jewelry on her wrists and fingers and ears, a backpack slung over her shoulder, and the force of nature of a cyclone as she walked out the front door without so much as glancing in Addy's direction.

"Princess Adrienne?" A kind, male voice snagged Addy's attention. The man in the doorway smiled at her and offered her an uncertain little bow, "Come on in."

Once Trawler had poked around the tiny office (half the room was taken up by the man's desk and filing cabinets behind him) and declared it safe, he stepped back outside and closed the door, though Addy knew he was standing sentry just outside.

"Please, have a seat." The man gestured. "My name is Scott Small, I'll be your academic advisor while you're here at Kings University."

"It's nice to meet you." Addy forced a cheerful smile.

"Likewise, Princess—"

"Oh, please, you don't need to use titles. I'm here as a student, not in an official capacity as Princess…"

Scott Small nodded, thinking the proposal over. "I'll try. It's just that… I feel as if I've known you all of your life. I've called you, 'Her Royal Highness, Princess Adrienne' for sixteen years now. It's an old habit, but one I'll do my best to break."

"Thanks."

"You know, you and I have a mutual friend."

"We do? Are you Kile's advisor?"

"I don't have any Kiles." Scott Small confessed. "No, I was speaking about Lady Kriss. I believe she's a friend of your family, she's spearheaded numerous projects with your mother."

"Oh, of course. I've known Lady Kriss forever. How did the two of you meet?"

"Her husband and I went to school together, we're still close friends."

"Oh." Addy blinked. "Well… good." It was hard to know what else to say. Lady Kriss was her mother and father's friend, and her husband, George Something-or-other, was virtually a stranger to Addy.

Addy shifted in her seat nervously, and Scott Small shook his head, returning to the present. "Of course, let's get to your examination scores. Pr…Adrienne, you did very well, all things considered."

"Really?" Addy let out a quick breath. "I thought I failed."

"Well, undergraduates aren't supposed to get more than half of the answers to those questions correctly, so in that manner of speaking, you _did_ fail. But you were supposed to."

"Oh." Addy didn't know whether to feel relieved or offended. What kind of examination was designed to be failed?

"However, in your case," he looked over a folder containing a summary of her results, "I think it would be fair to say that you've placed out of the majority of your core requirements for first year."

"Really?" Addy leant forward, eager, "What does that mean?

"Well, I'd like to see you take a first year science class, but you can skip straight ahead to second year humanities, language arts, mathematics, and histories. And, for your particular degree, those will be the only language arts, mathematics, and history classes you'll need to take to qualify for your degree."

"Really?" Addy gaped.

"Here." Scott handed her a piece of paper with a printed graph entitled 'Political Science degree requirements'. "You can keep that. See the core classes? English, Math, Science, History, and Humanities?"

"Mhmm."

"In addition to all of your Political Sciences requirements, you only need two credits in each of those before you graduate. You can choose to take more, and have them count as electives, but you don't need them. You can scratch out one of each because of your exam results. If you take a language, math, and history class this semester, you're totally done with those categories."

"What about economics? That's a math. I know I need to study that extensively, I'm going to be in charge of the Illéan economy soon. And game theory! I wanted to take game theory—"

Scott nodded, "You'll need to take two economics classes in the Political Sciences department, separate from your core mathematics requirement. Don't worry. We'll squeeze it all in. You're taking summer and winter sessions, right?"

"Right."

"Good. This will be fun." he smiled at the challenge, rubbing his hands together like he was getting ready to perform a great feat. "Now, let's start with economics. If you take an introductory course through the mathematics department, instead of the political sciences department, that'll count as your math credit and, if you sweet talk the right professor, _might_ qualify you to skip Political Science's micro-econ 101 and go straight into a micro/macro _combined_ class in the spring semester. Not only will you get your math credit out of the way, but you'll be able to skip to more advanced material when it's over. How does that sound?"

Addy's eyes were wide at the splendor of it all. This man was the key to helping her get _exactly_ what she wanted from this university in the most efficient way possible. He was basically her guardian angel, and she hadn't even thought to bring him a bagel from the bakery this morning.

They spent about an hour talking through the course catalogue and figuring out how to get Addy into interesting classes that would satisfy her degree requirements. It was more fun than Addy could have dreamed.

In the end, they chose a basic literature class for non-literature majors to satisfy her last remaining language arts requirement. Addy would have that economics class in the math department, and Scott would put in a good word with the Professor for next semester, basically guaranteeing Addy a spot in the more advanced class so long as she didn't fail the the first one.

She'd have an enlightenment philosophy class, which would count as a humanity but was offered by the Political Sciences department and would completely prepare her for many of the advanced classes she'd be taking later on.

Then, to get her last history requirement out of the way, they found a class offered by the history department that was called, 'A History of Democratic Politics'. Basically a primer for Addy's future classes on politics, all in the guise of a history credit. It made Addy feel like she was getting away with something, getting to take these interesting classes instead of traditional boring history and math and reading.

The pièce-de-résistance was the Dearwood seminar. Scott, somehow, had the right connections to get Addy, in her very first semester at school, into Professor Dearwood's international politics seminar. Addy had thought she'd have to wait until her last year, maybe even her last _semester_ , to even be considered for one of Dearwood's classes, but apparently Dearwood was offering a special seminar for first years this year, and there was still a spot available if Addy wanted in.

 _Addy wanted in._

Not only would she get to learn from a living legend in the international relations arena, but this seminar would satisfy a _science_ requirement. It would save Addy from having to take chemistry or struggle through biology!

Addy emerged from her very first meeting with her academic adviser, grinning from ear to ear, beautifully printed, color coded schedule in her hands that showed the days and times of each of her _amazing_ classes. Best of all, Addy was on track to graduate exactly when she'd promised her parents and their advisers that she would graduate.

Addy could not stop smiling, even when her cheeks started to ache.

* * *

The first day of classes bloomed, bright and early. Addy bounced out of bed at the first glimmer of sunrise and couldn't stop herself from _singing_ in the shower. She wasn't as musical as her mother, America _Singer_ Schreave, but when she was in an especially good mood, she hummed and sang and danced through the day. People might easily have mistaken it for love.

Her first class in all of university, her very first real school class, was the Dearwood seminar. Addy could not have dreamed of anything better, she'd never have allowed herself such a fantasy. She chose one of Mary's beautiful, floral creations and paired it with tights and brown boots. She took the time to curl her own hair for the first time in her life, letting it fall in waves down her shoulders, but keeping an elastic on her wrist for later, in class, when she needed to keep her hair from falling in her face or over her notes.

At Weaver's gentle insistence that a Princess could not subsist off of bakery treats alone, Addy had finally gone grocery shopping and now had toast, peanut butter, a banana, and a cup of yogurt to start her day off right. She brewed her own tea, too, though she yearned for her usual morning coffee from the bakery. Tomorrow, maybe, she'd reward herself.

Addy arrived at the Political Science building nice and early, almost literally bouncing into the classroom written on her schedule. There were only twelve student desks in the room, and at the front, a teacher's desk and a white screen.

Addy glanced out the glass part of the door at Aaliyah, who gave her a thumbs up from the hallway where she stood guard. Addy's stomach was a seltzer bottle full of bubbles, and part of her wanted to puke, she was so excited. She chose a seat in the second row. She didn't want anyone to know she was this eager, but it also ensured she'd be able to see and hear absolutely _everything_.

The next person into the room was a nervous looking guy with brown hair and a sheepish grin. He greeted her with a little wave. "Hey."

"Hey." Addy smiled.

"Did you have a nightmare about being late, too?" he asked, grinning at his own misfortune.

She giggled, "No. I might have dreamed that the class was taking place at the heart of an erupting volcano, though… it's hard to remember." She wasn't lying, her dreams had taken unusual, anxiety-related turns the previous night.

He laughed, rubbing a hand down his neck, and took the seat next to her. "Dearwood's supposed to be a pretty tough cookie. We'll see where the semester takes us. Maybe we'll be _begging_ for active volcanos by the end."

Addy grinned, substantially fewer bubbles in her stomach now that someone was here to distract her. "What's your name?"

"Martin."

"I'm Addy."

"Uh, y-yeah…" he stammered, "I mean, I…"

"Oh!" Addy winced, hand flying to her forehead. "Of course. You've been alive and mostly conscious for the last sixteen years, _of course_ you know."

"It must be weird… you've never had to introduce yourself to anyone in your entire life." he smiled.

"And yet I keep trying, obviously." Addy shook her head.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." he reassured her. "Introductions are part of a normal, polite conversation. It's not your fault that they don't work for you because you're the most famous girl in the entire country."

Addy rarely, if ever, thought of herself as _famous_. Everyone knew who she was, but not because she was a movie starlet or a pop princess. She was a _real_ princess, with real duties and obligations. She wondered, though, if it didn't amount to the same thing for people who didn't know much about the monarchy beyond what the gossip magazines printed.

She was saved trying to come up with an adequate response by the arrival of another person. This time, it was a girl. In fact, Addy had seen this particular girl before, exiting her guidance councilor's office in a determined rush. It seemed that was how this girl always exited and entered a space, because she was positively barreling in now.

She paused, though, when she saw Martin and Addy already there, and then scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes and shaking her head, muttering something that sounded a lot like, "unbelievable", and then slumping into the front row seat. She ripped her notebook and pens out of her bag with that same energy, and pointedly ignored them.

Addy met Martin's eyes, trying to figure out if they'd done something to offend her. He just shrugged, content to ignore the force of nature in front of them.

They were saved any more awkwardness as more students began filing in, in twos and threes, until the room was full of eager chatter. The angry girl in the front row ignored everyone, letting her multitude of long, black braids shield her eyes to prevent any accidental eye contact that might lead to obligatory polite conversation. She fiddled with a gold bead at the end of one of those braids and focused on her notes.

Addy's heart fell into her stomach. Were they supposed to have notes already? Had there been an assignment she hadn't heard about? She looked around, but no one else seemed to be reviewing anything.

Addy was spared any further anxiety when Professor Dearwood walked into the room.

There was instant silence.

"Welcome." she said, making straight for the teacher's desk and setting her leather shoulder bag on top of it. "This is an international politics seminar for first and second years, if you're not a first or second year, or you are not enrolled in this seminar, you are in the wrong place." She paused and no one moved. She nodded, "Someone pass around a piece of paper, everyone write your names." Several people moved for paper, including Addy, but the guy on the front row to the far left waved everyone off and took care of it. "That's how I'll be taking roll for the semester. I'd like it to be done before class starts from now on. That means you need to be here _early_. That shouldn't be a problem for anyone, I know that none of you are coming from other classes because the university doesn't offer anything before our time slot. You all understand what that means, don't you? _Don't_ be late. I won't accept excuses."

She paused while the paper continued to be passed around, person to person. While the students took care of roll, she dug a notepad out of her bag and looked through it. "Now, I don't usually host a first and second year seminar. You're usually not worth my time until some of the other professors have taught you a lesson or two. But, I was told we have an especially promising batch of underclassmen right now, and as it happens, I'm between books. So I have the time." Addy thought this was an odd reason for having spare time, being between books, until Addy realized, with a jolt, that the Professor was talking about _writing_ books. Not reading them. Addy blushed, grateful that no one could hear her dumb thoughts.

"My point is," Dearwood continued, "this class is a privilege that few receive so early. If you do especially well, you'll be invited into my exclusive upperclassmen seminar, where the _real_ fun happens." She seemed to think this was a funny joke, because she paused to chuckle. "Of course, I'm not in the business of destroying grade point averages. If you're struggling in my class, I will cut you."

Addy frowned, taken aback.

"We'll meet about it first, of course, I chose all of you in this room for a reason. But I don't live to be the villain in the sentimental stories about university that you'll be telling family and friends for the rest of your lives. I'll put you out of your misery before it comes to that. What are you, a group of sixteen? I'd expect upwards of four of you to be dropped before all is said and done."

Addy hadn't been expecting this. After everything that she'd already been through to prove her worth, this teacher was saying that if she wasn't good enough, she'd refuse to _teach_ her? What was the point of a teacher, exactly, if not to teach people things they don't already know? But this woman would throw out the people who didn't already know what the professor was being paid to teach? She'd throw out a _quarter_ of the class over that kind of unwillingness to do her job?

"But maybe I'm wrong, maybe you're all a group of wunderkind. Maybe everyone will sail through this class with flying colors. That should be our goal, at any rate." Professor Dearwood took a seat on the teacher's desk and peered at the group of them, eyes lingering on Addy for an extra moment.

"You'll have a midterm and regular assignments in this class, together they will comprise 50% of your grade. The other half will be derived from a project due at the end of the semester for which you will be divided into groups of two. This is a _politics_ seminar, after all, and you don't get a passing grade if you can't learn to negotiate a school project with another party. What sort of teacher would I be if I allowed that to happen?" she mused. Addy didn't know _what_ sort of teacher she was, either way. Goodness gracious.

The girl in front of Addy, with the long black braids, turned back to face her with a look on her face that told Addy that having to acknowledge her existence like this was done purely under duress. She slammed the roll sheet on Addy's desk, then turned back around to face the Professor.

Addy had no idea what her problem was. As she uncapped her pen, she looked down the sheet and saw that, apparently, the miserable girl's name was 'Lenore Lee'. And 'Lenore Lee' was deeply insulted that Addy existed.

Addy signed her name without her title, 'Adrienne Schreave', and then passed it on to the person behind her.

Professor Dearwood went on to talk about the rules of the class, and what would and would not excuse an absence. Nothing short of death truly excused an absence, it turned out. Death in the family, or death of self. That was it.

Then the Professor handed out her syllabus, outlining what they'd be studying each week, and what materials they were expected to have read by each class. "By the way, don't think that I included your reading assignments on this syllabus because I really like typing lists." The Professor arched an immaculately stenciled eyebrow at the class, "You will be hopelessly lost if you haven't completed the reading before each class, and I won't waste my time, or that of your classmates, in catching you up." Then she returned to reading through the syllabus.

In the last few minutes of class, she began explaining the semester-long project that would comprise so much of their grade. It was not enough to pass them on its own, but without it they would surely fail.

When she'd approved each of them for entry into her seminar, she'd divided the class into pairs that she found interesting. Each pair would be assigned a foreign country that Illéa currently had diplomatic ties with, and then they would be required to research the intricacies of those relations. They'd be presenting an incredibly _current_ political action proposal, based on challenges that Illéa was facing with each of those countries at the time of the project's deadline (December, Addy realized. Not too far in the future.) and if the proposals were strong enough, Dearwood would be presenting them to the "relevant diplomats", and citing the students who'd drafted the proposals as the authors. It would be a _huge_ deal if an Illéan diplomat enacted a proposal from a pair of undergraduate students, the kind of honor that could launch a future career in politics (for everyone except Addy, whose proposals were regularly enacted by her daddy already).

With the class sufficiently buzzing at the prospect of these proposals, Dearwood was content to announce their pairings and their assigned countries and dismiss the class five minutes early.

Addy couldn't believe that two hours had already flown by like that.

She hoped she'd be paired with Martin, or somebody nice like him. The class was full of eager, nervous students just like her, and she figured most of them would be happy to have the Princess as their partner. She, after all, had access to official government documents about the current diplomatic status of every country in the world. She had the personal phone numbers for every one of Illéa's ambassadors (or, at least, she could get them from her dad).

But of course.

 _Of course._

"Lenore Lee… you're with Adrienne Schreave."

 _Lenore_ was Addy's partner. Dearwood had a point, this _would_ be an interesting pair. Addy kissed goodbye any hope of getting a good grade on this project as the scowling girl in front of her bit back a cry of protest.

Martin was paired with the pleasant-seeming guy sitting behind Addy. It was all a terrible nightmare. _Worse_ than the volcano.

Martin winced in Addy's direction sympathetically, but it didn't make Addy feel much better.

When the Professor dismissed the class, she ordered them to exchange contact information with their new partners. She informed them that if their partner was cut from the class, they'd have to finish the rest of the project on their own, so it was in their best interests to form study groups with these people, too, to ensure they didn't drop below the cut line.

'Fat chance', Addy thought, as Lenore rounded on her with livid brown eyes. "Just _don't_ get in my way." Lenore seethed, scribbling, uninvited, her student housing address on top of Addy's notes from class.

"Do you… want to meet up sometime this week?"

"What did I just say? I'm not 'meeting' with you because you're staying _out of my way_." Lenore demanded, then turned to scoop her books into her bag. She had a second thought, and turned back to Addy one more time, "I can do this project by myself, don't think I'm going to save your ass from being cut."

Addy gave up and leaned back in her chair, rolling her eyes. Hurricane Lenore completely ignored her and stormed out of the room, but not before Addy sniped, "Have a lovely day, _Sweetheart_."

Martin choked on a surprised laugh beside her. "God. What a ray of sunshine she is."

"It's like she thinks I murdered her puppy." Addy frowned.

" _Did_ you murder her puppy?"

"Oh, who can remember?" Addy shrugged, gathering her own books into her bag. "I've murdered so _many_ puppies in my time."

He laughed again. Then he said, tugging on his ear bashfully, "Hey, I'll help you if you're in danger of being cut. You can join my study group anytime."

"Thanks."

"I hope you guys figure out how to work together. For the project and all."

"Me, too." Addy stood, joining the throng funneling toward the exit. "What kind of future Queen am I, if I can't learn to work with _one_ stubborn person hellbent on despising me? There are going to be _tons_ of stubborn people hellbent on despising me after I take over for my dad."

"That's the spirit." Martin grinned at her gloomy way of looking on the bright side.

* * *

Addy took advantage of her extra five minutes of lunch break, treating herself to an ice cream cone to help makeup for the unpleasant morning she'd had. What if all university classes were like that? Ruthless teachers and demon-possessed project partners? The students around her seemed happy, at least. Of course, none of them were eating alone (except for a bodyguard) like Addy was.

She gave herself plenty of time to find her afternoon class, literature for non-lit majors, in Meri's Literature department building. It was beautiful in there, and slowly students began filing in. This time, though, when the Professor announced the class, it was "French literature during the revolutions, away from and returning to monarchy". Addy raised her hand, heart pounding with horror, "I'm in the wrong class."

"Oh." The teacher, with a heavy french accent, said, "Yes, we were assigned this room this morning. You might have moved. Check the board at the end of the hall."

Addy was _so_ embarrassed as the students slowly began recognizing her and whispering amongst themselves, and Addy hurried away from the room, dragging Aaliyah down the hall to find her new room assignment. It wasn't really Addy's fault that she was late to class, and this professor was much gentler than Dearwood, forgiving her instantly and welcoming her warmly. Still, Addy didn't get to choose the desk she wanted, didn't have a moment to collect herself before everyone began arriving, she was _late_.

Had she ever been _late_ to anything like this in her life?

She'd been late to dinner, late to a meeting with Aunt Silvia and Aunt Marlee, but when it came to people outside of the Schreave inner circle, Addy was _never late_ to appointments. She wanted the floor to swallow her whole. She was stuck at a desk in the back corner, dark and stuffy. It actually gave her a little bit of a stomach ache, though she knew that was just her anxiety getting her and there was actually nothing wrong with the air back there.

Regardless, it was a relief when the class was over and Addy was _done_ with her first day of classes. It was early afternoon, and there was plenty of time for Addy to get a head start on her homework. She was going to go to her dormitory and light some relaxing candles and take a hot bath and read the materials Dearwood wanted them to be through with by the following Monday. It would feel nice to be ahead on her work. And then she would cook dinner and call home and pretend that she'd had an _amazing_ first day of classes, because she didn't want her parents to be any more worried about her than they had to be.

Then maybe she'd find Meri and grouse a little, if Meri didn't have too much reading to do. She was a _literature_ major _,_ after all.

Addy was feeling significantly better about her afternoon, convinced that she could salvage this wreck of a first day, all the way until she arrived on the steps of the Lit building and realized that it was _pouring_ rain outside.

She hadn't heard any thunder, but maybe it was just that this kind of harsh spray of rain wasn't accompanied by thunder or lightning. They were farther north than the Palace, and they'd been warned that it rained more frequently here, but neither Addy nor Aaliyah had thought to bring any sort of umbrella. They were completely out of luck, forced to walk all the way back to Addy's house in driving, soaking rain.

Addy was lucky that she had a leftover plastic grocery bag in her book bag. It was holding a can of trail mix that she'd bought at the grocery store, but now that she was about to be deluged, Addy wrapped her school supplies tightly in it, then put the plastic bag back in her book bag. This way, her notes would stand a chance of surviving the soaking rain.

"Ready?" Aaliyah asked.

"Let's go." Addy moped, wondering if her lovely brown boots would ever be the same after such a torrent.

It was a long, _long_ walk in the rain. Addy and Aaliyah both looked like they'd been tossed into a lake, belongings and all. Addy was so focused on getting upstairs and checking to make sure her notes had survived, hanging her precious new book bag out to dry, and seeing what could be done about the fate of her boots, that when they finally opened the front door to the house, she didn't even glance to the guard's common area where there was, she realized when she later reflected on it, a little extra commotion.

She charged up the stairs, careful not to slip in the puddles she was making on the way, desperate to be done with this terrible, awful day.

She kicked off her poor, destroyed boots and slipped her bag onto the kitchen table, snapping it open and hurrying to see if her notes were still legible. Blessedly, they remained completely intact.

Addy sighed with relief. _Finally_ , something had gone right.

"Adrienne?"

The voice from behind her startled her. She whirled on her soaking socked heels, the shorter layers of her red hair in curly, drippy clumps, slapping her in the face as her jaw dropped.

"Hello, Princess." Prince Lucas said, eyes crinkling with amusement at her state of disarray.

Addy looked beyond him, to the room he'd emerged from, the spare bedroom Rosie had claimed. Only, rather than being completely empty, it was now full of the English Prince's belongings.

He took the shift of her wide, stormy-eyed glare back to him to be the question that it truly was, and grinned, "Surprise."


	12. Chapter 11

"What are you doing here?" Addy demanded, letting the frustration from her difficult first day of classes leak into her tone and color her attitude toward him.

"I… Well, I live here."

"You _what?!_ "

Lucas scratched at his neck and shifted awkwardly on his feet, "When I learned that you'd be living on campus, I _begged_ my mother and father to let me transfer to Kings University for my last two years of school. I was miserable at Old Oxford, but until you enrolled here, it was the only campus in the world secure enough for a prince."

This was too much in one day. And why hadn't anyone warned her? What was she supposed to do with _Prince Fun_ himself standing in the middle of her common area? "You _can't_ live with me."

Lucas blinked, surprised by her hostile reaction to say the least. "I've got to, Adds, it's the only way I can stay."

"Well, you can't sleep in _that_ room." Addy pointed to the room behind him, conspicuously full of his belongings for now obvious reasons.

"Oh." He turned and looked back, then glanced uncertainly at the smaller bedroom to his right. "The other one seems to be in use as some sort of closet, so I just assumed this one… I mean to say, it was empty…"

"It's _Rosie_ 's room. You can't just take Rosie's room without asking!" Addy knew how insane she sounded, but it was true that every time she looked at that room, she smiled and imagined her baby sister occupying it on future visits. That was all ruined now. And the 'without asking' part was probably, really, more the source of her distress.

"I'm sorry, Rosie? _Your_ Rosie?" Luke was doing a poor job of following her meltdown. "We're talking about Rosalynn Schreave?"

"Yes!"

"She's… Addy, she's _four years old_." he pointed out the preposterousness of Addy's complaint.

"That's her room for when she visits me!"

Luke had no idea what to say to this, "Oh… Alright. Well—"

"Hold on. This doesn't make sense." Addy spun around and stomped, socks squelching as she went, rather ruining the effect of her anger, over to her telephone and wrenched it off of its hook, dialing a direct line to the King's office.

There was an awkward pause as the telephone rang and she waited.

"Adrienne?"

"Daddy, what's going on?" Addy demanded, shrilly. Far more shrilly than she'd intended.

"I— I've no idea. Are you alright, Bird? Where's Weaver?"

"Did Uncle Eoan mention that he was sending _Luke_ to live in my _dormitory_?" she was scandalized.

"Oh!" Maxon's relief that there wasn't some dangerous emergency was audible. "So Luke's arrived, has he? That's wonderful. Do you like our surprise?"

"Our… _our_ surprise? Who did this?!"

"Your mother and I received word from your Godfather and Aunt Waverly a few weeks back. They were interested in moving forward with a last minute school transfer for Lucas, but it would only work if he could share a secure location with you. It wouldn't have been possible for the English to secure a location so far from home without our help. Well, there's plenty of room in that house of yours, and with a Prince of England there you have nearly double the guards on watch, between his security and your own. A chance for my baby bird to be doubly looked after while she's away at school? Of course I accepted!" he sounded so pleased with himself that Addy's ire began melting away.

"You… you did this to keep me safe?"

"And happy! He's one of your best friends, little love. I hate to think how lonely you've been without your family there with you. I know Kile, Meri, and the guards have helped, but I would think that every familiar face would be welcome at this point."

Addy's shoulders slumped as she realized that her father had done this as a special surprise for her, to make her happy. And she'd reacted like a selfish brat. She turned to take in Lucas again, but he was pointedly avoiding eye contact, blushing furiously. How could he have known that he wouldn't be welcome? He and Addy had been a matched set for their entire lives.

"I'm sorry for yelling." Addy said, voice trembling. She was talking to her father, but her eyes bore into Lucas, willing him to meet her gaze and realize she was talking to him, too. After a moment, it worked. His blue eyes widened at the expression in her grey ones.

"You're alright, Bird?" Maxon's voice was concerned.

"I had a tough day, and Lucas was an unexpected surprise. I panicked."

"Your feathers were ruffled?" Maxon asked, amused at his own joke.

She could just see the dorky smile on his face, and she rolled her eyes dramatically, "Yes, Dad. Thank you."

"Would you call during family time one evening this week? We've had some technicians connect a speaker to the telephone in the family room. If it works properly, we'll all be able to hear and speak to you at the same time."

"That sounds wonderful, Dad." Addy giggled, the stress of the day easing its grip on her at the thought of the absolute _anarchy_ that would ensue if _all_ of her siblings _and_ her parents tried to talk to her at the same time.

"Love you, Bird."

"Love you."

The line clicked. Maxon was back to work.

Addy sighed heavily and hung the telephone on the hook, peeking over at Lucas sheepishly.

He was on the other side of the world from his family, in a foreign country, living in a strange town he'd never even visited before. And after a terribly long flight and probably an even longer day unpacking, the closest friend he had on this continent had stormed up the stairs and started yelling at him, making him feel like an imposition in the only space he could call his own on this side of the ocean. Addy wanted to strangle herself for being so cruel.

She bit back her pride and offered him the same hug she'd have offered Astra or Meri or Kile, though it was brief to avoid drenching his clothes, "I'm sorry, Luke. I'm happy to see you, I swear."

"Good. Because I live in Rosie's room now, so you'll likely be seeing a good deal of me." His eyes crinkled, amused.

Addy rolled her eyes at herself, at her defensiveness of the bedroom she didn't even need. "I've had… a rough day."

"I can see that." he gestured to her soaked clothes.

"But I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Addy studied him from head to toe, assessing his condition. "You look tired."

"A bit of jet lag." He confessed.

"Are you hungry?"

" _Famished_." Poor boy, he looked so relieved that she'd asked him. He'd had absolutely _no_ idea how to feed himself in this country, it seemed.

Addy nodded, thinking of her own first night at university, and how much better having dinner with her friends had made her feel. "Let me put on something dry and dig out my rain boots, and we'll go find something to eat. How do you feel about cheeseburgers?"

* * *

Luckily for Addy, the rain dissipated and the next day dawned clear and bright.

She awoke to the sound of a teakettle squealing, and when she emerged from her bedroom Luke was already gone from the common area to take a shower in his bathroom, but he'd left her a cup of tea in a mug that he must have brought with him all the way from England. It was obviously for her, it was covered in small drawings of red birds perched on delicate little tree branches, and Addy could smell the vanilla and lavender scent of one of her favorite English teas. There wasn't anything like it for sale in Illéa, she'd been looking ever since she'd first tried that tea on a trip to England years ago. He must have brought that blend with him, too, probably just for her.

Addy had to admit it, her father had been right. It was _nice_ not to be so alone.

Addy's other classes were significantly less intense than the Dearwood seminar, too. Her economics class seemed like it would involve far too many formulas and equations for Addy's taste, but she looked forward to being able to stun her father's economic advisers with her competency the next time she joined them for a meeting. Addy's economics professor also had excellent office hours because he lived on campus as faculty-in-residence, so she knew she'd be able to get help if she needed it.

That Friday she had a free afternoon, and there was a club fair at the student center, so Addy met up with Meri and Kile to see what was on offer. They'd invited Luke, of course, but Luke had classes on Friday afternoons.

Kile didn't have much time, he had a mountain of homework to get to. Not to mention, he was already a member of several student organizations including a movie club, a pizza club, and a gardening club (free fruits and vegetables from the garden for those who helped tend the plants a couple of times a week). However, he took a moment to explain how everything worked as the three of them entered the crowded, bustling student center.

"So, the University sets aside a certain amount of money every semester. They distribute that money evenly amongst all the clubs to help fund their activities, and the clubs can always host their own fundraisers if they need more."

"Wow." Addy marveled, "So, your pizza club—"

"It's free pizza every week." Kile nodded. " _Really_ good pizza, too. Sometimes we make it ourselves with fresh ingredients, sometimes there's a co-pay of a few dollars and then we splurge on some gourmet pizza. Sometimes, there are even garlic knots."

Meri licked her lips at the thought. She loved garlic about as much as Addy loved all things dairy.

"So, what do you have to do to form a club?" Addy asked. "Could Luke and I make a 'Royalty club' just for us, and use the money for crowns and scepters?"

"Not exactly." Kile chuckled at the mental image. "New clubs need a statement of purpose written by their potential president, and enough signatures that the university isn't just—"

"Paying to give you and a couple of friends unlimited pizza?" Addy supplied.

"Or unlimited scepters, I guess." Kile grinned. "There are lots of good clubs here, and they don't have to be educational. The university wants its students to tell the world that life on campus is amazing and wonderful, that way _future_ students will make this their first choice of university. So it's in the university's best interest to fund some pizza clubs here or there, not just study groups. Although there _are_ study groups, and they're really good so you should check them out if you have time. "

"What are they like?" Addy asked, intrigued. She could use all the help she could get, finishing school in two years.

"Older students and candidates for advanced degrees like Ph.d's and doctorates sign up, and younger students who need help sign up. Everyone who needs help gets paired with someone who can help them. Like, I needed help with advanced trigonometry last semester, so I signed up."

Addy winced. Leave it to Kile to find a field of study that was the perfect mixture of beautiful art and brain-breaking mathematics. But she knew it would all be worth it someday when he was Illéa's greatest architect and helped design an iconic skyscraper or something.

"What do the tutors get out of it?" Meri wondered. "It seems like a lot of time and effort for a good deed."

"Well, they get money." Kile said. "The funds for the study clubs go toward paying the tutors for a certain number of sessions. I mean, if a student needs extra help, they can always pay out of pocket for a few more sessions, but still, it's much cheaper than having to pay for it all ourselves."

"I'm joining." Addy declared, completely sold on the idea. "Maybe next year, once I've learned a little, I'll even be able to earn some money tutoring. I've never earned my own money before." she grinned, a tyrannical gleam in her eye. "I could buy so many colorful pens from the bookstore and coffees from the bakery!"

"Wow." Meri deadpanned, meeting Kile's eyes as if to bemoan Addy's choice of splurge, "Dare to dream, your Royal Highness."

Addy giggled, "I guess I wouldn't make much of a dictator, would I?"

"School supplies and cream coffees?" Kile asked with a teasing grin, "Sign me up, my glorious Supreme Leader."

* * *

Once Kile had shown Meri and Addy how to sign up for the appropriate study clubs for their needs, (Addy chose economics after much deliberation, and Meri chose essay writing), he left them for the library.

Meri and Addy continued wandering around the booths, arm in arm, each to determined to find something fun for the other.

And while they walked, they talked.

As she was peering with interest at the booth for a cheese-of-the-month club that seemed perfect for Addy, Meri asked, "So, how has it been, having Luke for an house mate?"

Meri didn't know about Addy's quagmire of feelings toward Lucas, nor the potential crush Luke had on Addy. It was such politically tricky stuff that Addy had only shared it with Astra, so far. At first she'd felt a little guilty, but now she was glad for her secrets. Meri's question was so much less loaded this way.

"Good, actually. Better than I thought. He doesn't make noise at all hours or throw loud parties. He's made tea for me almost every morning."

"That's nice!" Meri grinned, "He's looking out for you."

"Yeah, I think so." Addy shrugged. "You know, he's Luke. He's that way with everyone."

Meri laughed, "Remember that time he and Andy were visiting and we tried to play polo with that old croquet set and the Palace horses?"

"Disaster." Addy covered her eyes with her free hand as if she could hide from the memories.

"I fell off of Angelfire right onto my face! Luke cradled me all the way to the hospital wing, even though my problem was a broken nose, not a broken leg." Meri giggled. "He was so sweet."

"Yeah." Addy smiled, warmly. "He's a good one."

"Still, I can't believe your dad is letting you live with a boy." Meri grinned.

"A boy and a house full of overprotective bodyguards." Addy reminded her. "And anyway, I don't think he thinks of Luke as a boy." Addy admitted, "It's like… he thinks we're brother and sister, because we grew up together and Luke's always been good about keeping an eye on me."

"Hmm." Meri's eyes sparkled with an unspoken thought, and she bit her lip to keep it to herself. "Oh! It's a music club! Addy, you should join and learn to play an instrument."

Addy eyed the booth for a moment, then shook her head, "No, that's okay."

"Why not? You know you've got music in your blood! Your mom—"

"Is exactly the problem." Addy cut her off. "My mom has performed for the entire nation on _Report_ special episodes, several times. Everyone knows how good she is, and they'll expect me to be as good."

"That's not fair," Meri countered, "No one would think that. Your Mom had to sell her voice in order to survive when she was a Five, she practiced all day every day. Of course you wouldn't be at her level. That doesn't mean you should _never_ try to learn an instrument—"

From a few stalls down, one of the students handing out flyers yelled out, "Cartoon club! Every Tuesday night! Free popcorn, lots of cartoons, history of animation discussions to follow!"

Meri took a flyer as they passed and studied it, intrigued. "I like cartoons." she mumbled thoughtfully. Then she returned her attention to Addy, "So, you can't learn music because your mother is great at music. By that logic, photography is out, too?"

"My dad would probably weep for joy if I showed up to Rosie's birthday with a camera around my neck and announced that I was taking up photography." Addy grinned at the thought. It was tempting, just to see the radiant expression on his face. "But no, that's not really me. I need to find something new, something that's mine."

"Cartoons?" Meri offered her the flyer.

Addy laughed, "I'll pass."

"Oh!" Meri pointed across the aisle to yet another booth, "The chocolate club has free samples of chocolate. Let's go."

In the end, Addy signed up for the scrapbooking club and a book club. She also considered the baking club, like her family had suggested. She knew Rosie would be disappointed if Addy didn't 'join the cookies', but Addy was far too happy with her house's proximity to the bakery. Why eat her own amateur attempts, when everything the bakery produced was pure perfection?

The scrapbooking club was a surprise to Meri, until she realized Addy's ulterior motive. A quick examination of the flyer revealed that this was nothing more than a way to gain access to free beautiful, colorful markers and pens for Addy's class notes and study materials without begging Officer Weaver to fork over some of Addy's allowance. Meri glared as Addy explained that the club also had calligraphy lessons every other week, and she figured the Queen of Illéa ought to be able to write in extra pretty calligraphy for special occasions, so it was a good deal overall.

And even though Meri rolled her eyes when Addy signed up for the book club, mumbling that _of course_ Addy would sign up for what amounted to extra homework, Addy had firmly insisted that reading counted as a fun hobby. Addy probably wouldn't have time to do all of the reading, but she'd get _free_ copies of all of the books. Free books! And _someday_ she might have time to read them all. Maybe when she was retired and her firstborn was on the throne?

Fed up with Addy's inability to do something carefree, even if it was for only one semester, Meri grumbled, "I'm joining chocolate club." and doubled back to add her name to the roster and collect another sample.

* * *

That weekend, Addy received her first two pieces of mail in her new house. An envelope from the desk of the King of Illéa, containing very official letterhead inside, covered with almost illegible scrawl.

 _Adby,_

 _How ARE you?_

 _I Misss yoU._

 _Dady help ed me rite THIS!_

 _Love! rOSaLYNN_

Addy laughed. She supposed her sister was tired of waiting for Addy to keep her promise of sending secret letters. She stuck the letter to her refrigerator with a round, black magnet, already dreaming up a good way to reply by written letter to a girl who could only barely read, as she moved on to the next item left on her doorstep: a cardboard box.

Addy had to dash to the desk in her bedroom to grab a pair of scissors, and returned, attacking the tape with a vengeance.

Addy opened it up and grinned. The contents of the box had the faint scent of her grandmother's beautiful house. There was a note on top in that distinctive Magda Singer handwriting,

 _Bird,_

 _I hope you're adjusting well to university. I can't wait to hear all about your adventures. Please let me know if you need anything, grandmas_ love _to spoil their granddaughters._

— _Grandma Magda_

Addy considered appealing to her grandmother for extra allowance money, but she held off, hearing the voice of her father in her head. "Bird," the voice was saying, rather pompously, "Kings and Queens of Illéa need to learn that they can't get everything they want all at once. They need to learn to budget properly and invest wisely—" blah, blah, blah.

Addy was distracted from mocking her father in her head by what lay under the note, the rest of the care package from Magda.

A hand-knitted throw blanket for one of Addy's sofas. A spongy ball meant to be attacked with a vengeance anytime Addy was feeling overwhelming stress. A small bottle of America's signature bubble bath. A plastic container packed with homemade cookies and brownies.

Addy heard footsteps on the stairs as she gulped down a lump in her throat.

"Hello, Adrienne." Lucas appeared sliding his book bag off of his shoulder. "What's that?"

"It's from my grandma."

"Oh?"

"She baked me cookies. And brownies." Addy shook her head. It was hard to explain why having 'cookies from grandma' so far from grandma was so important to her, but it was. "Want one?" she offered him.

He grinned, "I'd love one. Please thank Mrs. Singer for me."

They both bit into a cookie at the same moment, and Addy groaned a little as it seemed to softly melt in her mouth.

"Does it make you homesick?" Luke asked, once he'd swallowed his bite.

"Sort of… in a good way?" Addy didn't know how to explain. "I miss her, but I'm also grateful to have this gift from her."

"Bittersweet." Lucas nodded his understanding, leaning back on the kitchen table. "Two contradictory but equally true feelings."

"I've been having a lot of those lately." Addy lamented, allowing herself a moment to study Luke's face as he devoured his cookie. "Luke, I'm having a Selection."

Luke froze, his last bite still in his mouth. He swallowed slowly to buy himself a moment to figure out how to respond. "I… er, I know."

"So we can't… I don't really know what happened at your birthday, but it can't happen again. We're friends." Neither of them had even once brought up his birthday party, or what may or may not have passed between them that night. It was past time to clear the air.

"We _are_ friends." he agreed with her statement of fact.

"I mean, I know we both feel friendship feelings," Addy ran a hand through her wavy red hair. She'd left it down today because she hadn't had anything too strenuous on her schedule. "But in case either of us start to feel… other feelings… you know, contradictory but equally true feelings—"

" _Romantic_ feelings?" Luke pressed.

" _Whatever_ feelings. We need to be protective of our friendship because I'm not interested in living the rest of my life without you, Luke. And I'm having a Selection."

Lucas looked as if this was the last thing he'd been expecting to talk about on a Saturday after returning from the library, but he nodded, "Right." he exhaled loudly, "So 'friends' is our only option?"

"It's friends or nothing," Addy confirmed, "and I don't want it to be nothing."

"No, nor do I." He frowned at the cookie box between them and rubbed at his jaw, thoughtful. "These are the ground rules for living together, then?"

"Yeah." Addy stood firmly behind her emotional boundary.

"Okay, then. Friend." he extended a hand toward her.

She smiled weakly, "Friend." and she shook his hand firmly.

Addy firmly ignored how small her hand was in his, how warm his skin was on hers, how her stomach swooped and her heart raced at just this tiny contact with him.

She had a certified crush.

* * *

Addy's second week of classes got off to a promising start, although things did not greatly improve with her seminar partner, Lenore. Professor Dearwood announced at the end of Monday's class that they would be having an assessment quiz on Wednesday and that, while it would not count toward their final grade, it would give them a good idea of how well they'd learned the first week's material, and those who performed poorly would be immediately cut from the class.

Despite Lenore's stubborn insistence that she didn't need Addy's help to complete their final project, it seemed that some of her other classes must have humbled her. She probably realized how hard it would be to do the final project alone _and_ keep up with all of her other classes, because when push came to shove, Lenore decided that she might as well _try_ to make sure Addy studied properly.

This time, before careening out of the classroom at the end of class, Lenore rounded on Addy and scowled, "We should study before Wednesday."

Addy gulped, completely taken aback by this turn of events. "Okay. Do… do you want me to come over to your dormitory?"

"No." Lenore said, contemptuously.

Addy blinked, "Uh…"

"Neutral ground. The library."

"Okay, good. The library."

"Tomorrow evening." she narrowed her eyes. "6:00?"

"Yeah," Addy couldn't believe her ears. "I mean, perfect. See you then."

Lenore didn't say another word, her combat boots thundering as she barreled on to her next class.

Martin chuckled. Apparently, he'd been packing up his book bag at a glacial pace on purpose, anxious to see how the sudden encounter with Hurricane Lenore went.

"That's an improvement." he laughed.

"Is it?" Addy began packing her own notes away. "She still wants to scorch me from this earth with the intensity of her hatred."

"Ah, but now at least she's talking to you. Maybe this way she'll give you a heads up before she initiates her final hate-scorch." he teased.

"How's your partner?"

"Milo? He's great. We've already studied together once. He brought sodas for us."

Addy rolled her eyes, "Well isn't that thoughtful? _Milo_ brought _sodas_. What do you think Lenore will bring?"

"Arsenic."

Addy laughed before she could stop herself, Martin's deadpan delivery taking her by surprise. As she continued packing, she couldn't help but get the impression that Martin was watching her closely.

"I can call you Addy, right?" Martin double-checked.

"Yeah! Please." Addy finally had her bag in order and stood from her desk. She and Martin were the last ones in the classroom now. Addy gulped.

Martin scratched at his brown hair for a second, then took a deep breath, trying to summon up some courage. "My roommate plays soccer for the university. Their first match of the season is Friday night. A bunch of us are going… you know, to cheer him on. Do you… do you want to come with us?" he peered up at her, brown eyes nervous and hopeful in equal measures. Then, at her shocked silence, he seemed to remember another key strategy to his plan. "You and any of your friends who might want to come, too, of course."

Addy's heart seemed to restart in her chest and she gulped, "Um… Yeah, Martin, that would be fun. I'll… I'll ask my friends, see who wants to come."

"Really?! Wow!" he laughed, relief and joy all over his features. Then, realizing he'd said that out loud rather than keeping it in his head, he blushed. "I mean… good. I'm, um… I'm glad. It should be really fun."

"I can't wait." Addy grinned, but she was completely lying. Already her stomach was seized with butterflies. What had she just agreed to? Was this… was this some kind of _date_? Weren't there _kisses_ on dates? Would Martin be expecting a _kiss_? She'd never kissed anyone before! Was he going to hate her if she didn't kiss him at the soccer game? Would he stop being nice to her in class? Did she just lose the very first potential friend she'd made at university?

Addy, in a zombie-like trance, filled her lunch tray at the dining hall, then sat next to Aaliyah and stared at it, eyes glazed, imagining all of the terrible ways that this soccer game could go wrong.

"Princess?" her bodyguard interjected. "Are you feeling alright? You look pale."

"I'm okay… I think I just need…" Addy's mind whirred, trying to figure out who could help her the most. "I need to visit Meri after literature, okay?"

Aaliyah nodded, pulling out her radio and messaging in that 'the Fledgeling' would be stopping by 'Bumblebee's hive', before returning to 'the nest' after classes.

* * *

"Addy, this is Karra. Karra, this is my best friend, Addy." Meri beamed between the two of them.

Meri's roommate was at least a foot taller than Addy, with long, silver blonde hair braided loosely down her back. The tips were dyed a deep, enviable purple. She had several silver studs all along both of her ears, and one glittering little sparkle pierced through her left nostril. She was intimidating, and completely beautiful, but in spite of that she seemed to want to use her powers for good and not evil. Her smile was warm.

"I've heard a lot about you." Karra said. "Meri loves you to death."

"Oh." Addy glanced at Meri with a little smile, "The feeling's mutual. I've heard about you, too. You, um… might be able to help me with something." Addy shook her head, rephrasing, "I think I might need your help, Karra."

Karra wore a large white t-shirt, obviously faded and worn, but cared for. Her legs were covered in black cotton leggings, and her toenails were painted a matte black to match. At Addy's words, she sat on her bed and crossed her long legs. "How can I help you, little one?"

"Um." Addy sank into the chair next to the desk on Meri's side of the bedroom. "I think I might have just been asked out on a date?"

Meri gasped, "What?!"

"I don't know for sure." Addy frowned, gnawing at her lower lip. "It happened really fast."

"Did you say 'yes'?" Karra asked gently.

"I said 'yes' to something." Addy confessed.

Meri swore under her breath, folding her arms and plonking backward onto her bed, several pillows bouncing precariously around her.

"I need details." Karra said serenely.

So Addy purged everything she could think of that might be relevant. How she thought Martin was cute, and wasn't opposed to _ever_ going on a date with him, but it was so soon and they'd just met and it felt fast—

Karra lifted a hand adorned with one silver ring on her middle finger, connected by a delicate little chain to the bracelet on her wrist. She left the room, bustled around in the kitchen for a moment, and returned, closing the door behind her for privacy. She handed Addy a glass of ice cold lemonade.

"Okay," she said, while Addy sipped gratefully. "I think you're in the clear, little princess."

"You do?"

"It sounds like what you've got here is a 'group outing,'" Karra said, confidently. "You'll both technically be in the same place at the same time, but you'll have friends with you, so nothing too romantic is likely to happen."

"Oh." Addy let out a long breath of relief.

"You probably got confused because it _does_ sound like this guy is at least a _little_ into you." Karra mused. "He was probably putting out romantic vibes, but the actual event seems like it's just going to be a fun, _friend_ -filled evening."

Addy nodded into her glass, "At least I know what's expected of me now."

Karra returned to her bed, lounging on her elbow but keeping her legs crossed, "This is probably the perfect thing for you and this guy, really. You both seem to sort of like each other, but it's too early for anything to really be there yet. So you'll socialize on a Friday night, but there's no pressure because you'll be surrounded by friends. _And_ if it's terrible, you'll have someone there who can get you out of it." Karra paused, then looked up at Addy, "Who's going to go with you?"

Addy glanced at Meri, panicked. She hadn't asked, but she'd been clinging to the hope that Meri would be available.

Meri scoffed, "Are you kidding? You're inviting me to your first date and you think I'm going to turn you down? What, you think I'll have better plans or something?"

"It's not a date." Addy feebly protested.

Karra nodded, "Exactly, if you're not ready for it to be a date, it's not a date."

"What if he thinks it is?" Addy worried.

"He'd be pretty stupid, then, because if it's a date and he told you to bring other people with you, that's not a very romantic move on his part."

"That's true." Addy nodded, already feeling a little better. But there was something still bothering her. "What if…"

"What?" Meri probed.

"Do you think he'll want me to _kiss_ him at this not-quite-a-date?" Addy clutched the lemonade with both of her hands.

Karra tilted her head at the Princess, as if remembering that this member of the royal family whom Karra had grown up watching on television and seeing in magazines, was also a nervous first year. And a _sixteen_ year old first year, at that. She grinned wolfishly, "Who cares if he wants you to kiss him? You don't have to kiss _anybody_ you don't want to."

"We're barely friends, I don't want him to get mad—"

"If he's blackmailing you with your friendship, you're not friends!" Karra exclaimed.

"He's not." Addy said, "I'm sure he won't…" but she still sounded worried.

Karra sat up, her braid swinging behind her as she did, "If you don't want to kiss anyone yet, then don't. If you want to, and they want to, then do. And if anyone tries to make that decision for you," She tilted her left hand toward Addy, her silver ring glinting. Addy noticed, for the first time, that the top of the ring bore three little, pointy spikes. "That's what this is for." She made a fist, and it _was_ fairly menacing.

"Addy wouldn't need that." Meri grinned bracingly at Addy. "She's got personal guards, and my daddy controls the whole military. If anybody so much as _looks_ at Addy the wrong way, I'll make my dad send in the special ops assassins."

It was funny and cute to imagine Meri stubbornly commanding General Leger to send in the special ops, but the truth was, Meri probably wouldn't even have to ask him. If anyone tried to hurt Addy while she was at school, and they miraculously survived Officer Weaver's wrath, General Leger would likely descend on them in person and employ the very darkest of the skill set he'd learned in King Clarkson's military. There would probably be a Palace dungeon involved, at the very least.

Addy looked between Karra and Meri and finally smiled.

* * *

The next evening, Addy got to the library an hour before she was supposed to meet with Lenore. Earlier in the afternoon, she'd attended the first meeting of the scrapbook club, and been given her own supply of markers, colored pens, bright paper, tape, and glue. There were lots of other interesting gadgets and supplies to craft beautiful pages, but those were shared amongst all the members of the club, so they stayed with the club officers. Addy had more than enough to be getting on with, at any rate.

She chose an alcove on the first floor of the library, with a table and four chairs inside, to set up her study space. Weaver liked her choice because no one could sneak up behind or around them, as there was only one entrance to the little nook. He sat outside of it and put on a menacing expression to discourage anyone from disturbing her.

Addy made her seminar notes her first order of business, going through them and color-coding all of the units, alternating between markers and colored pens for various effects. She also began marking up her textbook and her workbook before Lenore arrived.

Lenore, book bag slung over one arm, stared at her for a second, "What is this?" she asked.

Addy looked up, not having realized she had arrived, "Hi! I've been going through my notes—"

"Why do they look like a rainbow puked all over them?"

"It's a study system."

Lenore narrowed her eyes at the pages, then lifted them to Addy, studying her for a moment, "Not everything has to be cute, you know."

Addy blinked. How could something like this have possibly offended her?

Lenore sank into the chair opposite from Addy, "We get it, you're a princess, but not everything has to be glitter and rainbows." she gestured to the colors. "This is academia, no one's going to take you seriously if you keep doodling hearts and stars all over the place." She nodded pointedly to the notes at the front of Addy's notebook.

Addy leant back in her chair and crossed her arms, amazed at how _judged_ she'd just been. And how Lenore genuinely seemed to think that she'd just given Addy some useful advice.

"The _hearts_ and _stars_ are symbols of organization to help me connect thoughts across all of the course materials, not just within the notes, or the textbook, or the workbook. The _glitter_ and _rainbows_ perform a very similar function. It's a method of studying I learned from my tutor at the Palace. She taught me that the brain learns through creating _schemata,_ basically a filing system in your brain. When you first learn a new concept, it's very broad. The first time you ever see a dog, someone tells you that it is called a dog, and now you have a filing cabinet in your brain titled 'dog', along with some details. It's furry. It licks. It's cute. Soon, you see a cartoon of a dog, and that gets filed under 'drawing' and 'dog'. You see a new breed, you file that away. You learn how to train them, you add to the filing cabinet, the 'schemata'. And every time you need to access what you know about dogs, there it is, neatly labeled and easy for your brain to access."

Lenore stared at her, unblinking, so Addy continued, "When you learn something new and you assign all the new details the same color or shape on a page, it's much easier for your brain to connect them and store them together in your mental filing cabinet in a way that's easily retrievable. And if these 'academics' you're so worried about can't understand that, then they're in the wrong profession."

Lenore narrowed her eyes at Addy, trying to spot a lie. Then she lowered her gaze to the papers in Addy's notebook, spotting the patterns on the paper.

"Is that true?" she finally sullenly asked, when she couldn't stop herself any longer.

"Yes." Addy relaxed her shoulders, her arms still wrapped around herself. At least she didn't seem to be under attack from Lenore anymore. For the moment. "We're at the library, go to the seventh floor and look it up in the brain sciences section."

Lenore looked tempted to do just that, but she didn't move. Instead she said, "I'll bet flashcards are better."

She unpacked an enormous deck of flashcards from her bag as if this proved her point, but Addy grinned at her, "Nothing says you can't use both." Lenore simply blinked at her, so she said, "Use these markers, and put a dot at the top of each of your flashcards. Blue for vocabulary, green for historical references, orange for political philosophy, that kind of thing. See if it helps you tomorrow. What do you have to lose?"

Lenore eyed Addy's vivid, sparkling explosion that passed for notes and looked as if she had quite a lot to lose in the way of dignity. But she nodded. "Fine."

And just like that, Lenore stopped sniping at Addy.

She didn't smile and she wasn't friendly, their study session that day was purely a matter of business. They needed each other to get through this semester, but they didn't have to like each other to do it. She didn't make jokes and she didn't laugh at Addy's attempted jokes, but after a couple of hours, when they'd reviewed all of the course materials, Lenore nodded with a kind of clinical satisfaction, like the antidote to a poison was working as expected, and gathered her things together.

Addy took this to mean that she'd survived her first study session with Lenore. She grinned all the way back to her house.

* * *

She wouldn't know how she did on the seminar quiz until Monday, but Addy felt fairly confidant that she'd done well. After it was over, before her usual storm off, Lenore turned around in her seat and nodded to Addy. No smile, no friendly words, just a frowning, silent nod that was probably something like approval. Addy took a wild guess and supposed that her color-coded flashcards idea had worked.

Martin stayed to talk with her after class, as usual, but it wasn't as awkward as Addy had thought it might be. Now that she knew what to expect on Friday, and that Meri would be there with her, she was actually starting to look forward to the match. It would be her very first university sporting event.

For his part, Martin was reliving the trauma of the quiz in living color, not flirting or anything that might make Addy uncomfortable. He was funny, though, he made her giggle, and Addy didn't miss the look of triumph in his eyes when he heard her laughter.

That Friday, Addy met up with Meri at the diner and they had dinner together. Meri had just filed her first book report of the semester, and was explaining how painful it had been in great detail. When it was her turn to vent her frustrations, Addy didn't have much to report. Things with Luke had reached a tenuous peace, Lenore didn't hate her quite as much as she used to, and she'd probably just done well on her first university quiz. Addy just dipped a couple of fries in the diner's secret sauce and shrugged, "I think we need to get the Palace chefs over here to learn how this is done." She took a big bite out of her greasy burger. "I'm not going back to life without diner sauce."

"Me, neither." Meri agreed, taking a long sip of sparkling water.

In front of the soccer field, toward the back of the line for tickets, Addy and Meri found Martin and Milo, his partner from seminar, as well as Milo's roommate Ahmed, and Ahmed's girlfriend Émilie.

Émilie was clearly French, and fascinated that the Princess of Illéa was joining them. Her infectious enthusiasm didn't make Addy uncomfortable, though. She asked if Princess Camille, of the French monarchy, was as glamorous in person as she seemed on television. Addy had to admit, Camille was everything she seemed and more.

As they waited for tickets, Émilie pulled two tiny plastic pots of paint, vibrant shades of the school's official red and gold colors, out of her bag along with a tiny paintbrush. "Who's first?" she grinned.

Martin went first, receiving bold streaks of war paint under his eyes, one red and one gold. Milo and Ahmed asked for the same treatment. Meri and Addy received streaks of their own, and then allowed Émilie to design a large 'K.U.' on their cheeks. Meri held a compact mirror for Émilie while the girl saw to her own face last, the two already becoming fast friends. It turned out, Émilie and Meri had the same favorite television series, and Émilie's housemate had an enormous television that could be used to catch up on new episodes.

Once they were inside the stadium (Officer Trawler got in for free, but Addy had to use a little bit of her allowance to pay for Meri and herself), Milo and Ahmed peeled off from the group to buy everyone little pompoms for cheering. Meri looped arms with Addy, though she was deep in conversation with Émilie, as Martin moved in to stand next to them.

Trawler was standing closer to Addy than usual, due to the crowd slowly making its way to the stadium bench sections denoted on their tickets. The proximity triggered a sort of unbalance in Addy's brain, like she'd left her house with only one shoe on or something.

Addy gasped and squeezed Meri's arm, realizing why she felt unusual. It wasn't that Martin was standing next to her, it wasn't that Trawler was hovering, straining to keep her protected.

Meri stopped mid-sentence and turned to Addy, "Are you okay?"

"I've never… I've never been in a crowd like this before." she realized.

Martin and Émilie both took their time digesting this revelation.

"Wow!" Martin said, "Really?"

"Never." Addy confirmed, still trying to think of an exception and coming up empty. "I mean, the club fair was crowded, but it was nothing like this…"

"Are you okay?" Martin asked, concerned, realizing this could be overwhelming

"I think so." Addy glanced back, "Trawler, are _you_ okay?"

"Fine, Princess." His eyes were ceaselessly roaming, and he had his arms loose, hands hovering at the waist in case he needed to take quick action. "There are protocols, even for this."

"I've walked down rope lines in front of massive crowds like this, but I've _never_ been in the middle of one." It was kind of alarming, to be honest. What if everyone here suddenly decided that they wanted to overthrow the monarchy by trampling her? What could Trawler possibly do in the face of such a mob?

Somehow, Martin seemed to sense her thoughts. "We're all here for the same thing. We want to see a good soccer game and cheer on our team with all the mindlessness we can muster. We want to scream until we're hoarse and exhausted enough to fall asleep tonight without worrying about grades or homesickness."

Addy looked around her as she took in his words, and was surprised to realize that probably every single person here had been homesick in the last few weeks, just like Addy had. They were all worried about whether they were off to a good start of semester or not. They were all ready to have a little fun. She was just like them. She wasn't stranded in the middle of the crowd, she was a _part_ of the crowd. There was a huge difference.

She grinned at Martin and nodded, "So, how's our team? Are we any good?"

"We've got a real chance of winning!" Martin beamed, offering Addy his hand as they walked up the concrete steps to their section and row of benches. And though Addy kept her other arm wrapped tight with Meri's, she accepted Martin's offer.

Her heart didn't race and her stomach didn't swoop as she held his hand, not like with Luke. In fact, she didn't start to lose her head at all. Still, Martin's hand was steady and reassuring, and her cheeks spread into an easy grin, unforced and carefree. She wasn't caught up in a whirlwind, but she _was_ having a good time.

Late in the match, as night chilled the stadium, she agreed to wear Martin's thick, unbuttoned cardigan when he offered it to her. Meri practically swooned when she noticed, but tactfully didn't draw further attention to it.

When the match was over, Martin didn't try to kiss Addy at all. Instead, he insisted she borrow his cardigan for the night and waved Trawler, Meri, and Addy off as he headed to his dormitory's side of campus with Milo, Ahmed, and Émilie.

The adventurous part of Addy wished Martin really had tried to kiss her, because she probably would have let him. The more responsible side of her knew she wasn't ready for that yet, and was glad they were taking their time. Maybe she'd kiss him next time, maybe not. Maybe never. But, as she and Meri headed back to Addy's house for a weekend sleepover, for the first time in her young life, Addy finally understood why it was fun to dream.


	13. Chapter 12

Addy spent the last Friday afternoon in September shopping at the campus bookstore with the final dregs of her September allowance. She'd stopped by the bakery that morning and, in addition to her favorite coffee and breakfast sandwich (currently egg whites, spinach, and a sprinkling of parmesan on one of the bakery's too delicious, fresh english muffins), she'd picked up a whole box of assorted cookies: chocolate chip, sugar, cinnamon, one that tasted almost alarmingly like pumpkin pie… All of them delicious. All of them for her family.

Now she was searching for the perfect birthday present for Rosie. In addition to books, the Kings University's campus bookstore was well stocked with memorabilia bearing the university logo. Rosie had every stuffed animal known to man, so the stuffed bears wearing tiny university t-shirts were out.

Addy pondered the scarves halfheartedly as she continued her slow perusal, backpack full of the homework she'd need to do over the weekend and arm wrapped tightly around the cookie box she'd carried to her classes that day.

She stopped in front of a child-sized sweater and smiled. It was cute, and Rosie didn't have a single thing like it at home (all of her clothes were hand-stitched by maids). Ordinarily, Addy wouldn't give a five-year-old clothes for her birthday, but Rosie was going to be receiving plenty of toys and games and books over the next few days. Something like this, special from her big sister, might be the perfect present.

Addy nodded resolutely as she found the one closest to Rosie's size, and then bought the next size up (she hated to imagine the tears if Rosie hit a growth spurt in the next few weeks and outgrew her special birthday present).

"Princess?" Weaver had been keeping a respectful distance, but he stepped forward now. "Is that it?"

"This is it."

"The car will be here any moment. His Highness has just finished the last of his afternoon classes and they're headed over now."

"Okay, thanks." Addy hurried to the gift wrapping section and chose the brightest, prettiest, sparkliest gift bag and tissue paper she could find. "Let's check out. I'm ready to go home."

* * *

Bridget, Addy's personal maid, was waiting in the car with Luke. Addy grinned, heart leaping at the sight of her, and wrapped her in a tight hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Fadaye sent me. He asked me to apologize on his behalf."

"What for? Sending me my best ally in the whole Palace?" Addy grinned.

"There will be cameras photographing your arrival this evening," Bridget explained as the bulletproof black vehicle began to roll away, "The magazines, especially, want fresh pictures of you and your family ahead of the celebration. Princess Rosalynn's birthday parties are always cute and entertaining, but don't have the flare of one of the galas marking your parents' birthdays, or your birthday, for that matter."

"I understand." Addy sighed. She was a little disappointed, but more than anything, amazed that it had been three whole weeks since anyone had taken a picture of her.

"Your dress is beautiful, Princess." Bridget smiled at the floral sundress (one of Mary's gifts), paired with dark, plum tights and Addy's favorite brown boots. "We'll need to change you into high heels, of course, and I brought some blazers for you to choose from, to make your outfit more formal." Bridget turned around in her seat and dug through the bag she'd placed back there. Now Addy knew what the three blazers (black, navy, and white) were doing hanging behind the back seat on a garment hook.

Addy turned to Luke, who was smirking from behind the assigned reading he was getting a jumpstart on. Addy smiled sardonically, "Does this happen to young Princes of England, too? Or is the road trip makeover reserved exclusively for Princesses in your country?"

"I wouldn't know. No sisters, no royal aunts." Lucas shrugged. "But if mistress Bridget gives you the option, I'd forgo the diamond encrusted tiara today." he teased.

"Would you?"

"It's still a bit early in the season." he tilted an eyebrow, and Addy giggled at the idea of a tiara season.

"You heard him, Bridge." Addy grinned.

Bridget laughed, "It's just as well, your Highness. The diamond encrusted tiara would clash terribly with the songbird necklace your mother was hoping you'd wear."

Addy's hand flew to her neck absentmindedly. Of course she was wearing the songbird. She never took it off. Maybe America had included that recommendation with Bridget's instructions as a way to remind Addy that, yes, being royal means making certain sacrifices of oneself, but _not_ everything. Not the most important things. Addy might have to wear uncomfortable shoes and a business-style jacket just to greet her family after three weeks apart, but the core of her identity was still there, underneath it all.

Addy smiled broadly as the car finally made it to the edge of campus and turned out onto the highway headed home.

* * *

Even Addy's dad was waiting for her return, along with the rest of the family, behind those golden Palace gates. Addy was positive that he had important work that he was neglecting for this, but she wasn't about to complain.

Gavril had clearly positioned the royal family in order of who Addy was supposed to greet first, starting with Rosie, and working up in age until she got to her father. Addy grinned excitedly as the car rolled to a stop and photographers moved into position.

Aunt Silvia came racing over to the car, waiting for the chauffeur to open the door before poking her head inside and saying, "Good evening, your Highnesses. Prince Lucas, you're to exit and greet the royal family first. Princess Adrienne, please remain in the car until Prince Lucas is done greeting your father. We don't want to miss a single good photograph, do we?"

Addy agreed and shoved her impatience into a tiny metaphorical box deep in her chest. She was desperate to get her arms around her brothers and sisters again, but part of being a princess was having to compromise on almost _everything_.

"I'll hurry." Luke promised, brushing a hand over hers sympathetically. "And you can be the first to hug _my_ family if they ever come to visit." he joked.

Addy giggled, imagining King Eoan and Queen Waverly in Addy and Luke's dormitory. How out of place they'd be. "Deal." Addy grinned.

Lucas straightened his collar and adjusted the sleeves of his jacket as he stepped out of the car and, after waving to the cameras, hurried over to bow deeply to little Rosie.

Rosie did not get the memo that this was supposed to be a fairly formal event. She took advantage of Luke's lowered stature to give him a warm hug around the neck, and clung so tightly that she was lifted into the air as he arose, both of them laughing.

Addy practically pressed her nose to the window, enraptured, as Luke moved on to shake Lief's hand, whispering a special, secret joke in the youngest Illéan prince's ear and being rewarded with an enormous grin.

When he got to Maisy, he bowed again (though less theatrically than he had with the younger children), and as he did so he softly said something that put an enormous, satisfied smile on Maisy's face. She bashfully tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and nodded.

Loathe as she was to admit it to herself, Addy's heart melted at the sight of that. She'd been worried about Maisy these last few weeks, worried that the teasing and bullying would continue and Maisy would try to be brave and strong and bear it all by herself. Seeing her tough, fearless little sister smile so easily couldn't help but relieve some of Addy's concern. And, inconvenient as he was, it was all thanks to Luke.

Jamesy and Luke greeted one another like brothers (or, at least, brothers who were forced to greet one another with bows of respect). They were clearly already plotting to find a moment in the weekend's chaos to sneak off and play with The Palace's newest gadgets; they both loved computers and technology more than anyone else in their respective families.

When he bowed to America, Lucas took her hand and kissed it, after which she pulled him in for a tight hug. Addy couldn't begin to guess what they were saying, but she did notice the way Luke's shoulders seemed to relax, the way his whole body seemed more at ease, visible even from her vantage point way back in the car. Maybe Luke was more homesick than he liked to let on, Addy realized. And maybe this trip to the Illéan Palace, a frequent feature of his childhood, was already helping him feel better.

Maxon accepted Luke's bow with a gracious, welcoming smile that clearly said that such genuflections were unnecessary. He shook Lucas' hand and patted his shoulder, welcoming him to the Palace. Luke remained at Maxon's side, a position of honor appropriate to his station as Prince of England, and all eyes turned to the car.

It was finally Addy's turn.

She hardly had the patience left to wait until the _Report_ cameras were pointed her way before she emerged from the car, grinning from ear to ear, paused to allow the cameras a chance to capture her, and then returned her attention to her family.

"Addy!" Rosie squealed, breaking rank and running to her big sister, leaping into her arms as soon as they were close enough.

Addy adored all of her siblings, despite the occasional infighting or squabbles. She considered them her closest allies in the tumult of the Palace. But for some reason, Addy and Rosie had always shared an extra special bond. Maybe it was because Addy was the oldest and Rosie was the youngest, they were a matching set of bookends. Maybe it was just that, _because_ Addy was the oldest and Rosie was the youngest, Addy could remember every important moment of Rosie's life with better clarity than she could any of her other brothers or sister.

Whatever the reason, it was good to have that little curly-haired monkey-girl back in Addy's arms again.

"Hey Bud!" Addy grinned, hugging her tight to her chest. "Happy early birthday."

"Thanks!"

"You're turning two, right? Because you're my _baby_ sister forever?"

"No, Addy!" Rosie practically cackled with glee at Addy's lame attempt at a joke. "I'm your big girl sister now, I'm turning _five_!"

"Five?!" Addy was scandalized, but she pecked a giggling Rosie on the cheek and set her down. "I missed you so much."

"Me too."

"Wait in line and I'll carry you back into the Palace." Addy offered, knowing Rosie wouldn't want to be separated, even for the small space of time it would take Addy to greet the rest of the family.

"Piggy back?" Rosie negotiated.

"Only if Aunt Silvia won't mind." Addy hedged, not sure where piggy back rides fell on the scale of royal decorum."

True to her word, Rosie waited as patiently as an almost-five-year-old could manage.

"How ya doing, Lief?" Addy asked, hugging her baby brother tightly.

"Good." Lief smiled. He'd had plenty of time to think about what news he wanted to tell his big sister first, upon their reunion, and he wasted no time launching into it now, "I got two new march-men." he boasted.

"Wow!" Addy knew how much Lief treasured his 'march-men', the set of toy soldiers that he used to enact epic battles between good guys and bad guys. "Are they awesome?"

"Yeah! I got one with a parachute! I can throw him way high, and he'll float back down. I dropped him from the tree castle and he flew really good."

"I can't wait to see him." Addy mussed his hair, gave the top of his head a kiss, and squeezed his shoulder.

Maisy's hug was brief, embarrassed even. "How's school?" she asked.

Addy wasn't exactly sure how to answer that question. School was complicated. There were parts that were wonderful, parts that were confusing, parts that were difficult and made her question her decision to go there in the first place. Addy pressed her lips together to buy herself a moment before saying, "School's good. I'm glad to be home, though." and changing the subject, she continued, "Did Mom and Dad ever let you start running that harder obstacle course? The one with the guards?" It was something Addy had been mulling over in the far back of her mind these last few weeks.

Maisy shrugged, "Not really. They're negotiating with Uncle Aspen, they don't want me to get hurt."

Addy nodded, "You _might_ want to mention it to Uncle Gerad. Remember how he and Uncle Ry like to talk about guard stuff sometimes?"

Maisy nodded, "Sure."

"I heard him talking about the courses once. I don't know how Uncle Ger could know so much about them if he'd never run them before."

"Why would he have run them? He's not a guard."

"Why do you run them? You're not a guard." Addy reminded her.

"Huh. Are you sure?"

"It's just a hunch." Addy frowned, "I wish I knew more. But I don't think it's a secret, if you ask him I'm sure he'll tell you. And if you explain the problem, he might speak up for you."

"Okay." Maisy nodded, surprised but pleased. "You're a real genius, do you know that, Sis?"

"I have my moments." Addy winked, moving down the line before she drew too much attention to their scheming.

Jamesy's hug was solid, warm, and a much bigger relief than Addy had expected.

"How has it been?" Addy asked. "Are the meetings too bad?"

"It's been good!" Jamesy reassured her. "None of the advisers expect me to know as much as you, and sometimes I think they pay more attention to my ideas because of it. They won't dismiss me if I forget something important, they'll just help me fix my idea so that it's something that actually could work."

"Good. So you don't hate it?"

"Nah. Dad's been helping me a lot." Jamesy smiled. Addy immediately knew Jamesy was actually saying that he was relishing the extra time spent with his father. "And, since I've been so good with the paperwork, Mom and Dad have promised to sign me up for that explorers club next month. There's going to be a big campout at the end of October, and they're already talking with the organizer to figure out how to make it safe enough for me to go."

"Jamesy, that sounds amazing!" Addy grinned. "I'm so excited for you."

"I already know Dad can't chaperone this one, but he says he really wants to do a campout in the future. And Gavril even says it would be good publicity, so I think it might really happen." he beamed.

"Dad loves being outdoors." Addy grinned. "He's always cooped up inside, working, though. I think, once he retires, he'll probably spend a whole year outside, roaming the wild." She joked.

"Can you imagine him with a wild beard?" Jamesy laughed.

Addy shook her head, cringing.

"Anyway, Uncle James wants to chaperone the first camp out. He's... possibly more excited than I am?"

Addy grinned, "That's great, Jamesy. I can't wait to hear all about it."

"What about you? Did you join any good clubs?"

"Nothing too adventurous, not yet." Addy said, "But once I get used to living on campus, and once I get the hang of my course workload, I'll probably be ready to try something different."

Jamesy nodded, then frowned. He wasn't sure if he should say exactly what he was thinking. He plucked up his courage and said, "Do it, Addy. Because... you've got a lot of years of being stuck in Dad's office ahead of you. I don't think I ever really appreciated before... how much of your life is going to be stuck in the Palace, doing paperwork. Who knows when you'll get the chance to do something like this again? Maybe never."

Addy was caught off guard, to say the least. Jameson's time doing Adrienne's job was already taking its toll, changing him.

Addy was spared thinking of a good response to this unexpectedly mature insight by a slight, almost invisible wave of America's hand. Addy realized the photographers were probably getting restless, and she turned to move along.

America wrapped Addy in the warmest of embraces. "Welcome home, Bird."

Addy breathed her in deeply; the vanilla scent that Addy had associated with her mother, probably since birth, causing tears of relief to sting Addy's eyes. "I missed you, Mommy." she whispered.

America's breath stuttered, and she sniffled, "Oh, my little love. We missed you, too. So, so much." She kissed Addy's hair. "Are you alright?"

Addy checked in with herself. Not hungry, not injured, not sick. "I'm fine."

"Good." America smiled. She seemed to have to tear herself away from her daughter. "I expect you to let me snuggle with you for at least half the weekend, Adrienne." she teased.

Addy giggled, but couldn't bring herself to object. How could she, when she'd fallen asleep almost every single night for the last three weeks, wishing for her family? Missing them so badly, it hurt?

Addy knew her younger siblings were tired of standing out in the driveway, and frankly, she didn't blame them. It was nearly dinner time, and she didn't want to throw off the Palace schedule any more than she already had. So she turned to her father and practically fell into his open embrace.

"Daddy."

"Baby Bird." Maxon cooed, and Addy could hear the tears in his voice. "You're home."

And now, returned to her father's arms, it felt real. She _was_ home.

* * *

When family time began after dinner, Addy announced the box of cookies that she'd procured for all of them. Lief and Rosie were the most obviously jubilant at the news, but Addy had been right. The look on America's face when she'd first bitten into one of the pumpkin pie cookies had been worth the cost, and the challenge of carrying the big cookie box to classes with her all day long.

Toward the end of family time, Addy took Rosie aside and gave her her birthday present. Rosie was beyond gleeful that she got to open one early, and she _loved_ the pretty tissue paper and the brightly colored gift bag.

"What's it of?" Rosie pointed to the emblem on the sweater.

"That's my school." Addy said. "Now you have a special sweater, all the way from my school."

Rosie grinned at it, patting the soft fabric lovingly. "Thank you for my present." she said dutifully.

"You're so welcome, Buddy. I hope it keeps you warm and cosy."

It did not escape Addy's attention that, after bath time, Rosie emerged wearing the overlarge sweater and a pair of pajama bottoms bearing duckies on them.

Addy volunteered to give Rosie her bedtime story, that night. When they walked into the youngest Schreave's bedroom, Addy noticed a new addition taped to the little girl's wall. Right beside her bed, there was a pencil drawing of Addy and Rosie in the gardens, and at the bottom was written, _I love you, Rosie! — Addy._

It had been the response Addy had mailed to the Palace, a reply to Rosie's first secret letter. She could have written a long, gooey reply, but Rosie was still learning to read. So, instead, Addy had given her younger sister something she'd instantly understand. Addy had spent more time than she cared to admit on the drawing; she wasn't as talented as her Aunt May or Aunt Kenna, so it had taken her a while to complete. Even so, she hadn't expected her baby sister to treasure it _this_ much.

"This is the last time I get to see you as a four-year-old." Addy said, when the story was done and it was time to tuck Rosie in. She pulled the soft, fluffy blankets up to Rosie's chin.

Rosie grinned excitedly at that thought, but Addy frowned, nibbling at her bottom lip. She felt guilty. She felt like she'd thrown away the last three weeks of Rosie's fourth year of life.

Rosie kissed the cheek Addy offered and said, "I will still love you tomorrow, don't worry." She'd misinterpreted Addy's expression, but it made Addy smile all the same.

"Good. Because I will love you tomorrow, too. And tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow."

Rosie grinned, "And tomorrow forever!"

"Plus, even though you won't be four anymore, we'll get to eat cake." Addy grinned.

"Did you know that sometimes Mommy promised we can visit you at school?" Rosie asked, voice promising intrigue even as her eyes began drooping with sleepiness.

"For real? Or just maybe?" Addy asked, in words Rosie could easily understand.

Rosie's eyes burst back open, widened with the splendor of what she was about to say, "…For _real_."

Addy grinned and kissed Rosie's forehead, "I'll talk to her so we can plan a real, live visit, then."

"See? It will be good to be five." Rosie reassured Addy.

"You know what, Buddy?" Addy stood from Rosie's bed and clicked off her bedside lamp. Rosie's nightlight sensed the darkness and glowed, a soft gold with a sparkling castle painted on the outside by Aunt May. "You're right. I'll see you at breakfast. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams." Rosie echoed, snuggling down as Addy stepped out into the hall and closed the door.

She nearly bumped right into America, who was walking quickly in the direction of the family room.

"Mom." Addy smiled.

"Is she down?" America asked, nodding toward the closed door.

"Yeah. She's excited for tomorrow, but I think she'll be asleep soon."

"Good. Thank you for tucking her in, it means the world to her."

Addy smiled, "I like tucking her in."

America chuckled, wrapping an arm around Addy and continuing at a stroll down the hall, "You've forgiven us for having that fifth child, then?"

Addy laughed, remembering her own reaction to the news that America was pregnant with Rosie. All Addy had been able to think of was the added responsibility of _another_ younger sibling on top of all of the other princess responsibilities she'd been beginning to take on. The diapers she'd need to change, the nursery she'd have to help tidy, the teething and the tantrums and sharing her parents with yet _another_ demand on their time. She'd cried at the news, and not happy tears.

Now, she couldn't imagine her life without Rosie. Of course, it had helped that Rosie had been a much calmer baby than Lief. Rosie was always giggling and wonderstruck by the simplest things, Lief had been a ball of energy, excited to throw Addy's favorite jewelry in the toilet just to see if it would flush. Lief had been a kicker, too, very briefly when he was two years old. Now he was a thoughtful, sweet tempered angel, if still a bottomless pit of energy.

Which reminded Addy, "Is Lief already asleep?"

America had been walking from the direction of his bedroom, Addy figured she'd been putting Lief down while Addy had been putting Rosie down.

"He woke up before dawn this morning." America lamented, turning into the family room with her daughter. "He was _so_ excited to see you."

Addy frowned, "I wish they didn't miss me when I was gone."

America paused, turning to look at Addy with a surprised, pained expression. "I think I know what you mean. Because it hurts them?"

"Yes." Addy said. "I'm glad they like having me around and everything, but I hate that it's hard for them when I go."

America dropped her arm from Addy's shoulders and instead took one of her hands, lacing their fingers together and guiding her out toward the balcony. "That's how I feel every time I have to leave home overnight without you kids. I think that's a normal feeling." she reasoned.

"Are they okay, though? Lief and Rosie?"

"Of course." America smiled, guiding Addy to one of the balcony chairs. America slipped in next to her, and Addy leant her head against her mother's chest. "They're royalty, Addy, they're not being abused." America blinked hard at what she'd just said, made a noise of upset, but before Addy could ask her what was wrong, America continued, "All I mean is that they still have playtime and lessons, they have chores and rewards for doing their chores. They have that same stable life we've always given them, and they're thriving. All that's different is family time, and don't misunderstand, they miss you badly. But they have Maisy and Jamesy, and your father and me. They have Aunt Kenna and Uncle James. Astra's been visiting a lot more often, and that's _really_ helped fill the gap." America paused, glancing down her nose at Addy's face. "You're not hurting them, Birdy. They may hurt on occasion, missing you, but that's _not_ the same as you hurting them."

"It feels the same." Addy said. "I chose to leave, my decision hurt them—"

"No, honey." America insisted. "And, anyway, it's getting easier every single day."

"Good." Addy was happy to let the subject drop.

The door behind them opened and they heard a gasp, "Could it be? My dear and my bird, all in one place?" Maxon's voice exclaimed.

America shifted beneath Addy and chastised, " _Maxon Schreave_."

Maxon chuckled, "How are you two beautiful ladies doing?" he bent down to kiss each of their heads.

"I think we're alright." America said with a look down at Addy.

Addy could have kicked herself. How dare she spend her weekend at home moping and feeling sorry for herself? "Yeah, Dad, we're good. How are you?"

"I'm excellent." He collapsed back into the empty balcony chair with a contented sigh. "I had a great meeting with the education council today, a lot of the unrest from the summer has died down… my daughter is home from university. My baby daughter is having a huge birthday party tomorrow… I'm trying to imagine a better life, and I'm coming up short." he grinned.

"Tell us about school, Bird." America entreated. "How are you? How's Lucas?"

"I'll bet the two of you are having a blast." Maxon grinned.

"Actually, we're not together as often as you'd think. We have different class schedules, so we're home at different times, and that's not even counting studying at the library or the park."

"So you're not together enough to get on one another's nerves?" America asked. "That's good."

"Yeah." Addy agreed. "Plus, he's Luke. So, you know… he brings me leftovers from the dining hall if he sees something there that looks good. He takes out the trash on his way to morning classes. He's a _good_ housemate."

"That's exactly what we were hoping for." America smiled.

Addy didn't want to dwell on Luke for much longer, she was worried that her intuitive mother might sense something in Addy's clipped answers. So instead, she told them all about the seminar she was taking, and the final project she'd be doing, and her angry partner who only begrudgingly accepted Addy's existence. She told them about the literature class she was taking and the economics theories she was studying. Her father quizzed her on gross domestic import and export models, and Addy was able to describe them in very general terms (she'd only known about them for three weeks now. She still had the rest of the semester ahead of her to learn more).

Overall, Maxon seemed thoroughly satisfied with the quality of Addy's education, and so he promised her that they could stop talking about school and just focus on having fun this weekend. Addy snuggled in, content to listen to her mother and father discuss their days with one another, just as they always did in the evenings.

It amazed Addy that she'd woken up that morning at _school_ , and gone about a perfectly normal school day, and now here she was at _home;_ the two didn't seem to coexist in the same universe.

That night, she couldn't feel anything but happy to be home as she drifted easily and softly to sleep in her own room, lying in her own bed, as if going to university had been nothing at all but a vivid, emotional dream.

* * *

Rosie was still a child, and she wasn't the heir to the throne, so her birthday party was not a grand Palace ball. It did, however, fill the ballroom with friends and family, decorations and cake, games and gifts.

For her part, Addy was relieved that this wasn't a formal ball. If it had been, she'd have been expected to dance with their royal guest, Luke. She wasn't at all confidant that she could keep concealed those bubbly, swoopy feelings that she got whenever he touched her.

Kile and Meri were both unable to attend, each with important deadlines for coursework on Monday. Uncle Aspen, Aunt Lucy, Uncle Carter, and Aunt Marlee were all noticeably without their firstborns, although their younger children were in attendance.

Though half of the original Palace Kid Gang were missing from the party, Astra was not. She brought Rosie an extra special gift (her very first pair of kid ballet slippers, along with matching pink leotard/tutu combo).

"I have to nurture the next generation of dancers." she winked at Addy as they helped themselves to slices of chocolate cake. "And anyway, I get a frequent shopper discount from the store where I buy my practice gear."

"She loves it. Look at her." Addy grinned, watching Rosie hug those shoes to her chest and brag about the tutu to everyone around her.

"She's a real cutie. Let's keep her." Astra joked, but then Luke caught her eye and she rounded on Addy, "Why didn't you tell me about _Fun_?"

"You were busy." Astra scoffed, so Addy continued, "I was busy, too. And I think… I think I was just hoping that… if I treated it like it was no big deal, then it wouldn't be."

"Is it? A big deal?" Astra clarified.

"…Kind of." Addy and Astra found an abandoned table toward the periphery of the party and sat together, conspiratorially. "I still have feelings for him."

"Have you kissed?"

"No. And we're not going to. I'll never _act_ on the feelings, but that doesn't mean they're gone." Addy sighed and took a miserable bite of cake. "I wish I could make this go away. I wish I could go back to being friends with him, plain and simple. Navigating my reaction when he accidentally locks eyes with me or when our hands brush as we're cleaning up our dishes in the kitchen… I'm not cut out for this, Astra."

"You sound like you're being held hostage." Astra giggled.

"I feel like it!" Addy scowled, "I don't want to like him, I just do."

Astra smirked, "I wish I could say that it gets easier, but it doesn't. Kile and I…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "You aren't in control of how you feel, but you are in control of how you behave. As long as something else is more important to you than kissing Luke—"

"Like our friendship, the alliance between our countries, the fact that I have a Selection coming up in a few years—"

"Exactly. As long as you keep your priorities straight, you'll be able to hold out." Astra smiled bracingly.

Addy didn't feel completely reassured. She sighed, "You know, there's this boy in my seminar… his name is Martin, he's… he's really nice and I think he likes me—"

Astra froze, fork halfway to her lips, "Seriously?"

"Yeah! I think… I think I might have gone on my first date."

Astra lowered her fork to her plate and pushed it away, turning her body and attention completely on Addy, "How do you not know whether you went on a date or not?"

"It was kind of a group outing situation." Addy shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it wasn't a _real_ date, but it _was_ really nice. He… he's cute, Astra, and—"

"Do you like him?"

Addy took her time figuring out how to answer that question, "I haven't known him long enough to _like_ him the way I like Luke. But… I think that's okay. I don't think that all crushes have to be like that, with the butterflies in my stomach and the way my brain slows way down when I think about him… I like being with Martin because I get to keep my head and enjoy everything and not worry."

"Not worrying is good. But… Addy, it sounds like you're setting yourself up for heartbreak here."

"Why?"

"Your Selection! You don't have a future with this 'Martin' guy—"

"So what? I don't even know if I would _want_ a future with him. It's just fun, and it's easy, and it's _simple_. At least, compared to Luke."

"Well, sure, _everything's_ simple compared to how you feel about Luke. Advanced Physics, the origins of the universe, it's all simple compared to how you feel about Luke." Astra ranted. "But Adds, come on! What if you start to _really_ like Martin? This could wreck your whole Selection. How are you supposed to fall in love in the middle of a Selection, when you're still in love with _another guy_?"

"Are you girls having fun?" General Leger had approached their table without either of them noticing. Astra and Addy both sat up straighter, but they were positive he'd been too far away to have overheard what they were saying.

Addy plastered on a big, forced smile, "Yeah, it's great Uncle Aspen."

"Good. Birdy, your dad wants a few photographs of you and your brothers and sisters, when you get a minute."

"Okay, I'll be over as soon as I finish." Addy gestured to her nearly forgotten cake.

"Alright." he grinned at them, completely clueless about what he'd just interrupted, and returned to Maxon's side to pass along the message.

Astra and Addy sank into their chairs, relieved they hadn't been overheard.

"Promise me you'll consider what I'm saying?" Astra begged.

"What are the odds this guys is 'the one' anyway?" Addy countered. "It's not fair, Astra! Everyone else gets to date to their hearts' content. They can date because it's fun, because they just like someone's company, and it doesn't have to mean their entire future is wrecked. But because it's me, I'm expected to keep to myself until some big competition—"

"Yes, you are!" Astra reminded her. "Every other heir in the history of your family has kept to themselves until it was time for their Selection."

"I don't think that's true." Addy frowned. "There were rumors about… you know, Princes sleeping around and doing whatever they wanted—"

Astra shook her head, "You know that won't work for you."

"Why not?!"

"Why can't you go sleeping around?! Addy, come on." Astra didn't want to say it.

"It was fine when _they_ did it—"

"It wasn't fine, and you know it. Your ancestors probably threatened every reporter in the world with beheading if they printed a story about the heir sleeping around before, during, or after a Selection. The world is different now."

"I'm not even talking about sex, anyway." Addy mumbled to her lap. "I'm not ready for that kind of thing. I just want to go on dates and have fun. There aren't even any reporters on campus to tell the world if I did. Why can't I just have this _one_ thing?"

"Because you already got your 'one thing'." Astra reminded her, but her tone was gentle and kind now. She rubbed Addy's shoulder consolingly. "You got to go to university in the first place. That's your thing, remember? And to get there, you had to pay the advisers by agreeing to a Selection. Now that you've agreed to it, your Selection is how you'll find your husband. Your partner. Your _love_. And it won't work at all if you're still pining away after some undergrad from university. It's risky, Addy. Think about it."

Maxon was waving to her from across the room now, so Addy stood and smoothed down her party dress. "I'll think about it." she said, face blank and tone expressionless.

In her mind, she'd hoped Astra would react the same way Meri had, with interest and gossip and support. She hadn't been expecting this kind of… disapproval. It made her stomach feel queasy, just thinking about it.

Addy hugged Rosie tightly, admiring the autumnal flower crown she wore in her curly hair, pointing out how it highlighted the slight tint of red that Rosie's blonde hair naturally bore, a genetic nod to their mother.

After a moment, Addy glanced back to Astra, still sitting across the room, and received a bracing smile from her cousin-sister. Addy returned it, though tremulously.

For one of the first times in her life, Addy allowed herself a moment to genuinely long for a normal life. She wouldn't be 'Princess Adrienne, heir to the Throne of Illéa', she'd be 'Addy, ordinary university student'. She'd date Luke, if he was normal, too. She'd date Martin, if she got tired of Luke. She'd ride in Kile's convertible and have a roommate like Karra, and maybe Lenore wouldn't hate her so much.

Addy's moment was up. It was time to pose with the whole Schreave family for an image that would be shared on the _Report_ the following Friday; it was what America and Maxon had been able to trade to avoid having _Report_ cameras recording the entire birthday party.

Addy moved between her mother and Jamesy as they all arranged themselves in order of age. Then, as Uncle Aspen positioned the camera so that the whole family was in frame, Addy pasted an enormous smile on her face and froze, waiting.

Smile and wait. She'd never before felt a single moment encapsulate the first sixteen years of her life so perfectly.

* * *

Addy spent Sunday morning playing march-men in the tree castle with Lief and Rosie. Maxon joined them after his morning cup of coffee, hands in his pocket, smile on his face.

"Daddy?!" Lief exclaimed when he spied him from the top deck of the tree castle. "Are you coming to play?" This was too good to be true.

But it was true.

"I came to play and spend a few more minutes with Addy before she has to go back to school." Maxon smiled.

Addy grinned and slid down the swirling slide all the way to the ground. "I'll help Daddy on ground patrol." Addy said.

"I want to!" Lief complained.

"I want to!" Rosie added.

Addy offered them an easy smile, showing them that this was nothing to get worked up over. "We can take turns."

The littles weren't sure if this was a good deal or not, but Maxon nodded, "Don't forget, I get to tuck you in tonight." Maxon smiled at them. "I won't get to tuck Addy in again until Halloween."

"I'll bring more cookies next time, if you let me take the first turn on ground patrol with Daddy." Addy bribed.

Rosie checked with Lief, whom she trusted implicitly. Lief scratched his chin, then nodded, "Kay."

Addy smiled and looped arms with her father, patrolling the ground for fallen toy soldiers and tossing them back up to the top deck, where the war was being waged.

"Do you have everything you need at school, Bird?"

"Yes." Addy reassured him.

"Not too lonely? Not too homesick?"

"Not lonely," Addy promised him. "I'm making new friends, and there's always Meri, Kile, and Luke." Then she considered the end of his question, "I'm the right amount of homesick. And, the more I get to know the campus, the more I like it. The homesickness gets easier every time I discover something new and good."

"Like your bakery?"

"Mhmm, or an especially comfy chair at the library, or how much fun it is to go to a sporting event."

"I read that security report." Maxon confessed. Not _all_ of Addy's movements were strictly confidential. "Was it fun?" he asked, completely unaware that she'd been there with a _boy._

Addy giggled at her clueless father, "It was great. I hope… well… I want to go again sometime."

He smiled and nodded, pleased.

"Dad?"

"What is it, Bird?"

"Did you ever… worry about your Selection? That it would go by too fast, and you wouldn't find the right person?"

Maxon snorted, "Only every moment of the entire thing, until your mother accepted my proposal…" he paused and turned to peer down at her, "But it's far too soon for you to worry about any of that, sweetheart. You've years to go until your Selection, why lose sleep over it now?"

"I just…" Addy figured out the best way to introduce her father to the concept without giving him a heart attack. "Meri likes to talk about the boys around campus, about who she'd like to date someday." Maxon froze, and Addy's gaze dropped to her shoes, "I know I can't date anyone, I know better than to cause any kind of scandal, I'm not saying that."

Maxon's hand dropped to her shoulder, "This is not a dictatorship, Adrienne."

Addy didn't know what he meant by that, "Okay…"

"You have real power, both at home, and across the country. Your position is not just for show."

"I don't understand—"

Maxon drew himself upright, folded his free arm behind his back, and continued their walk, "You're still younger than most of the boys at your school, my love, I would appreciate it if you would wait until you're a bit closer in age before you start dating."

"Wait… what?"

"Birdy, if you want to go on dates, go on dates." Maxon smiled. "If there's someone you really, truly like when the time comes, and he's an Illéan citizen, he'll be eligible for the Selection, won't he?"

"Technically… but what are the odds?"

"Little Love, my father hand-selected every single one of the girls in my Selection. What's the harm if I choose just one for yours?"

"You'd do that for me?" Addy blinked, awed.

"I want you happy, it's the most important thing to me." Maxon smiled. "So I plant a candidate we already know you like. So what? If it gives you a better chance of finding the right person, I'm happy to do it."

"Daddy… I…" Addy was floored. She'd never expected this response.

"Let me be clear, I'm not _thrilled_ about the idea of anyone putting their _hands_ on you—"

"Dad!" Addy blushed scarlet.

"And I know your mother discussed all the birds and the bees with you already, but I ought to reiterate—"

"Daddy, _please_ —" Adrienne wanted the ground to swallow her whole right there.

"Not to mention," Maxon switched tack, "If anyone _ever_ tries to touch you without permission, you're to yell for your guard, don't even hesitate—"

"Dad, I _know_."

Maxon frowned. "This isn't my favorite subject, Addy, you're my baby girl. But if it puts your mind at all at ease, I do happen to be the King. If someone out there catches your eye before your Selection, we can figure it out. I don't… I don't want you to…" he paused, not sure how much to say. "My father kept me far away from potential romantic interests until I was nineteen. Your mother was my first date… I rued my lack of experience, it made me feel like I had no idea what I was doing. Like I had no control, no ability. Like, even if my one true love was standing right in front of me, I wouldn't recognize her because I had never known any alternative. It was horrible, and if that's going to be horrible for you, too, then I want to change it." he tried to explain.

Addy grinned, though her cheeks still flamed with embarrassment, "So, you wouldn't be mad if I went on a date someday?"

"No." Maxon promised her. "Although, I'd hoped I wouldn't have to think about it for a few more years." he confessed.

From up above, Lief and Rosie were waving at them to join the war front, chanting "Addy! Daddy! Addy! Daddy!"

Maxon sighed, "Ah, well. At least I still have those two."

Addy laughed, feeling lighter than she had since her conversation with Astra the day before. And though it was hard to believe that her weekend at home had flown by so quickly, a part of her couldn't wait for class the next day, and her reunion with a certain brown-haired boy who made her sort of nervous and sort of excited all at the same time.


	14. Chapter 13

" _Hello_? Are you even _listening_?" Lenore grouched. They were in the middle of their now regular library study session, and Lenore was starting to get the distinct impression that Addy was wasting time.

Addy blinked between her workbook and Lenore. She hadn't been listening at all. She'd been staring off into the space of the margins, lost in a haze of daydreams spurred on by the hint of _boy smell_ that still lingered on the cardigan she was wearing.

She'd offered to return it to Martin in class earlier that afternoon, but he'd found a way to convince her to keep wearing it. The truth was, he liked seeing her in it.

Addy bit back a smile and dropped her eyes to the page she was supposed to have read in the silence during which she'd instead been imagining her next date-like-thing with Martin. Maybe even her first kiss-like-thing…

"Sorry…"

"Tell me what you have for 'entente'." Lenore scowled, apparently unwilling to waste further time inquiring about Addy's daydreams.

"Right. 'Entente'. It's an informal agreement, or even sometimes an informal _alliance_ , between countries. The formal version is called an 'accord'."

Lenore nodded, scribbling notes very quickly. They'd each read a different chapter of the textbook and were now summarizing their chapters for each other. As long as they both did an adequate job summarizing, this study trick saved them a lot of time. Addy supposed she should be pleased that she'd built up enough trust with Lenore that they were even able to try this tactic.

"What's a good historical reference for 'entente'?" Lenore asked, not glancing up from her notes. "Something Illéan?"

Addy paused, eyebrows raised. Lenore had this way of seamlessly integrating lessons with history, her brain was always churning to turn pure theory into concrete examples. Addy sometimes struggled to keep up. "Um… Oh! Right before the end of the New Asian war, my dad—"

Lenore made a noise of upset.

Addy rolled her eyes, "I can't change the fact that he's my dad, Lenore. You're just going to have to get used to it." Lenore still wasn't thrilled about Addy's 'princess' status. "Anyway, my _dad_ knew he wanted to negotiate peace with the New Asian government, but it was going to take a little while to settle the details. He didn't want anyone else to die in a war that was basically over, so he and all of his advisers went through official channels of communication to immediately request a cease-fire entente. A cease-fire accord would have taken valuable time to draw up."

"I get it." Lenore nodded, "Bureaucracy and paperwork would have cost lives."

"Exactly."

Lenore stretched her back and sighed, "I'm burnt out for the day. What about you?"

Addy pinched the bridge of her nose and nodded, looking over their mountain of study materials.

On the one hand, they'd made themselves a study guide to get ready for the midterm next week, and they were ahead of schedule on reviewing the material.

On the other hand, Professor Dearwood had announced that she would be using the midterm results to help her decide which pairs of students would be assigned which country for the final project. Addy couldn't tell exactly _how_ Dearwood would use the results, but Lenore took the news to be, as she took everything in their Seminar, a challenge on which her entire future hung in the balance.

Not to mention, earlier that very day, Dearwood had made her first student cut of the semester. A boy called Adam had left the class in actual tears when Professor Dearwood had refused to start the lesson with him still in the room. Suffice to say, that horrible experience had given Addy and everyone left in the class a fearful motivation to perform well on the midterm.

"You know what?" Addy made the decision with a nod, "I've got my English lit midterm this week. I need to prioritize my studying."

"Oh." Lenore's face showed an unusual amount of understanding, " _That's_ why you were so distracted today."

Addy practically felt herself blanch, "Um… yep. That's why." Addy would rather eat a sock than confess that she'd been daydreaming about a _boy_.

"Then I'll see you Sunday? Our usual study time?" Lenore stood and began gathering all of her materials.

"Sounds good. I'll bring the coffee."

This was borderline friendly behavior, and Lenore seemed to sense it because, without another word, she turned on her heel, her multitude of long braids whirling behind her, and stormed away.

* * *

"So, you read it, right?" Meri held up Addy's thoroughly annotated copy of _Sense and Sensibility_. "This isn't just for show?"

"I read it." Addy promised.

Meri, as a literature major, was helping Addy prepare for her literature midterm the following day.

"What kinds of stuff did you highlight and underline?" Meri flipped through the book, dazzled by the sparkly ink and bright, cheerful highlights.

"Um…" Addy reached back in her memory, "Interesting quotes, obvious rhetorical devices like metaphors and similes… I did really glaring instances of dichotomy, too."

"Oh, okay, _good_." she smiled cheerfully, "So you got that the main idea is to set up a contrast." Meri nodded her approval. "I mean, it's right there in the title. 'Sense' is common sense, and 'sensibility' is more like taste, like what the heart wants. It's basically brains versus hearts, and every major character in the book represents a study in either sense or sensibility in contrast."

"Kinda blatantly." Addy dared to complain.

Meri snorted, "Well, yeah, this was Jane Austin's _first_ novel, Bird." she giggled, "Most scholars think that at least the first section was originally published when she was only twenty years old. Maybe give her a break for not having a more complicated plot structure? It's still a classic."

"Fine." Addy laughed.

"Okay, so you'll be in good shape for the multiple choice questions on the exam, right? Basic plot points, characters' relationships with each other… I don't need to summarize anything for you, do I?"

"Nah." Addy stuffed her hands into the pockets of Martin's cardigan and smiled. She was wearing it _again._ She was addicted.

"Good. Let's talk about what you'll write your timed essay on, then."

"Our professor said it would probably be about a major theme… I guess the most obvious would be contrast."

"So probably 'the smart choice' versus 'the right choice', then?"

Addy blinked, stumbling over that summary, "You mean 'the right choice' versus 'the heart's choice', don't you?"

"Nooo…" Meri drew out the sound, brows knitting together, trying to understand Addy's interpretation.

"Meri," Addy rolled her eyes, "The little sister, the emotional one, almost married a total jerk because of _love_."

"Addy," Meri giggled, mimicking Addy's tone, "The older sister, the sensible one, only found happiness in the end when she allowed herself to confess her true love for Edward."

"Well, the _younger_ sister only found happiness in the end when she finally used her _brain_ to realize she'd been in love with a monster." Addy countered.

Meri nibbled at her lip, "I guess the point of the novel is that compromise is important. Balance. You need _both_. You need sense _and_ sensibility, not sense _or_ sensibility."

"I guess." Addy grumbled, unwilling to fully concede.

"Adrienne Schreave, if you take the position that Elinor could have powered her way through the entire book using pure Sense if only her dumb baby sister hadn't been such an emotional wreck, you're going to fail this examination." Meri warned her sternly.

Addy winced at the thought, "Okay." She put her hands up in surrender. "Okay. I'll say they're both good."

Meri narrowed her eyes and made a 'tsk' sound, skepticism on her face, "You'd better practice making the argument for romantic little Marianne, then. Otherwise, you won't know how to cast her in a good light."

"I will _so_." Addy complained. "I'll say… I'll say that, once she started thinking rationally—"

Meri groaned and slammed the book closed, "Say that Marianne's influence on Elinor was good, that without Marianne's dreamy, hopeless romanticism, logical old Elinor would have died a spinster while her true love married another."

"We don't _know_ that."

"You'd _better_ know it for your midterm, or your grade is going to be like old Mr. Dashwood at the beginning of the book. Basically already dead."

Addy laughed at Meri's lame literature joke, and she conceded the point, allowing Meri to help her craft a literary argument in favor of _feelings_.

* * *

Addy had just enough time to change into an extra cute outfit and freshen up her makeup, so long as she hurried.

Martin had found her on her way back from Meri's and told her, stammering and blushing, that the student center was hosting a french film night. He asked her if she wanted to go with him.

Addy had gulped, "Who else is going?"

"Oh… uh, I don't know." he'd confessed. "I mean, you can invite whoever you want—"

"I don't…" Addy hadn't known how to finish that thought. Did she want to invite other people?

"Well, I was thinking we could just go together… if you want…" Martin had suggested, "Not on a date or anything!" he'd hurried to clarify. "Just… together."

"Just together." Addy had smiled. It was perfect. She wasn't ready for dates yet, but she definitely liked the idea of 'together'.

She waved to Weaver, perched on the downstairs sofa and reading a newspaper, and then she dashed up the stairs. She wondered if she had time to curl her hair… she'd be pressing her luck, but it might be worth it.

"Adrienne." Lucas grinned as she sped by.

"Hey Luke." She didn't spare him a glance until—

"Oh my God! Princess Adrienne!"

Addy froze at the female voice and then rounded on the stranger standing in the middle of the common area next to Luke.

"Who—"

"Addy, this is Vanessa." Lucas grinned. "I'm glad you're meeting."

"You… are?" Addy asked, astonished.

"Vanessa, Addy and I grew up together."

"I know." Vanessa tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. "I mean, I remember… there were a lot of pictures in the press."

"So there were." Luke chuckled.

Addy's heart was pounding, "I'm sorry… how do the two of you know each other?"

"I'm in Lucas' history lecture." Vanessa explained with a kind, pretty smile.

Lucas nodded, "That's how we met. We've been on a few dates now, though—"

"Dates?" Addy's throat felt like sandpaper. "I… I didn't know you were dating someone…"

"It's still new." Lucas shrugged, "I didn't know where it would lead." Then he turned to Vanessa with an affectionate smile; _those_ lips quirking in _that_ way, but not for Addy. "I've a better idea where things stand now, though." He blinked, returning to himself and checking his wristwatch, "We'll be late if we don't hurry off."

"It was nice to meet you, Princess." Vanessa dipped a little curtsey, causing Luke to beam with pride.

"You'll be seeing one another again soon, I'm sure." Lucas grinned, delicately lacing his fingers with Vanessa's as they waved once more and turned, disappearing down the stairs and out into the cold night air.

Addy stood there, stock still, as if frozen in time.

Lucas was _dating_ that girl. And they'd been out enough times that he was ready to _tell_ people about it. Addy was no expert in these matters, she'd have to consult Meri to be certain, but she was _fairly_ sure that was a serious step in a… _relationship_.

Luke was in a _relationship_. With a beautiful, tall girl who seemed perfectly charming and was obviously intelligent because they'd met at a prestigious university and…

Addy had thought that Luke was going to have a hard time watching her Selection, watching her fall in love with and marry someone else. She'd had _no idea_ … she'd been such a fool… she'd never _really_ realized… that she'd have to watch him fall in love and marry someone else, too. That he'd live out the rest of his life with some woman, probably in a completely charming little estate in England, traveling the world and volunteering for charity organizations. All the while, Addy would be stuck in her dad's office, slugging through paperwork.

She was still standing there, frozen, when Martin arrived to pick her up for their not-date 'together outing'.

* * *

There was just enough time before the french film started for the two of them to eat at the dining hall in the student center together. Martin treated it like it was a fine dining establishment, magnanimously paying for Addy's meal with his own dining plan, carrying her tray for her through the buffet, then hurrying over to set their trays down at a table by a window, peeping out over the night-darkened autumnal central university park. With his hands free, he swept Addy's chair out for her and bowed jauntily, "M'lady." he pretended.

Addy laughed, feeling as if a sheet of ice that had been frozen over her whole body since Luke's little announcement was now cracking and melting away. "You're very kind." Addy took her seat. "I don't think you want to know how bad the decorum breach is, for demoting me from 'Royal Highness' to 'Lady', though."

"Am I headed to the stockades?" Martin took the seat opposite her, grinning.

"It depends on who's sentencing you. If it's Lady Silvia, you're probably facing a death sentence."

Martin laughed, "Aren't you the Princess? Can't you pardon me?"

"Okay." she pretended to give the thought careful consideration, "But only if you fetch all of my refills tonight." She motioned to her cup of water.

"That's more than fair." Martin conceded with a wink that sent Addy's stomach into knots.

Addy realized, as they fell into an easy silence, that she hadn't been paying as much attention to Martin that evening as she should have. She wanted to try to make that right. "So, Martin. I don't actually know very much about you. …Outside of class and soccer, that is." She added with a smile.

"Isn't that funny?" Martin marveled. "Because I know a _lot_ about you. Your family history, your birthday, the names of your siblings—"

"You have an unfair advantage." Addy nodded.

Martin laughed, "Says the girl who grew up in a palace." he teased. "I'm from Fennley, for a start."

"Really? What part?" Addy asked, digging into her food.

"Sort of near the Angeles border."

"That's not so far away from campus."

"No. I've already been home to visit once."

Addy smirked. "Now's when you pretend not to know if I've been home recently."

Martin laughed, "Those newspaper pictures were pretty cute. She looked happy, Princess Rosalynn."

"She _is_ happy." Addy smiled, thinking of her beloved Rosie.

"So, that begs the question… Do you have a favorite sibling?"

"Of course not!"

"You can tell me. I won't leak it to the press." he laughed into his dinner.

"They're _all_ great, and my relationship with each of them is different. Jamesy is closest to my age, and we've had each other longest. From the day she was born, I felt a special obligation to help Maisy navigate being a girl in the public eye. I think Jamesy felt the same way about helping Lief when he came along."

"He wanted to help him navigate being a girl—"

"Shut up." Addy rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry." but he grinned, leading Addy to doubt his sincerity.

"Rosie is a little different… I just… I remember _everything_. I remember finding out that my mom was pregnant with her, and how scared I was for the extra responsibility of _another_ sibling. I got to go to the ultrasound appointments with my mom and dad because I think they were hoping it would excite me about the prospect a little more. I remember the first time I ever felt her kick in my mom's stomach. When Mom went into labor early, I held her hand until Dad could fly back from Labrador. It was _hours._ I left the room when he finally made it to the Palace so that I could help out with Lief and Maisy. It was hard, though. I wanted to be in there, helping Mom somehow. Even after Dad got home, it took all night before Rosie was born. Dad didn't even wait for them to finish weighing and cleaning her, he ran to the hall to let us in. Lief and Mais were asleep, but Jamesy and I were still awake and eager to get in there. It looked like chaos, between the nurses cleaning up my mom and the doctor fussing over the baby, trying to decide if she was _too_ early, _too_ small. She was _so_ small, Martin. But she was strong, she passed every test, so she got to stay. They do this thing after a baby is born, they let the mother and baby have a long time together, skin to skin. It's supposed to be good for them. But Mom intervened and let me hold that tiny, pink baby for a minute before their skin to skin. I was a goner. Rosebud's had my whole heart, ever since."

Addy blinked up, remembering where she was. _When_ she was. Martin was staring at her like she was a priceless painting, a breathtaking relic in a museum somewhere. "I was trying to find out about _you_." she remembered, blushing.

"No… that's okay." Martin smiled. "It's so funny… how you can think you know somebody because you know a few facts and figures about them. Addy, there's _so_ much more to you than what gets printed in the newspapers."

He reached across the table, very tentatively, and took her hand.

She let him. So he grew bolder and stroked her knuckles with his thumb.

Trying to ignore the way this gesture made her feel like she was going to vomit in the best possible way, Addy continued, "So what about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"Two older brothers, twins." He studied their hands for a moment longer before returning his gaze to her face. "They're the worst, but I love them."

"What do you mean?" Addy laughed.

"They teased me mercilessly, growing up. I was never athletic enough for them. I was the shy, bookish one."

"Oh." That wasn't hard for Addy to imagine.

"But they'll protect me from anyone or anything, they're fierce about that."

"They've beaten up bullies for you?" Addy joked.

"Twice." Martin nodded sincerely. "Once when I was five, and again when I was twelve."

"What are their names?" Addy was charmed by the thought of these burly, athletic protectors.

"Markus and Matt."

"You and your brothers all have 'M' names." Addy smiled.

"My mother is Marlyna and my father is Maurice, so there was never any hope for us kids." he confessed.

"What are your parents like?"

"I think you'd like my Mom. She's the brains of the operation, she's kind of a math whiz. I've never brought her a math problem from my homework that she didn't know how to solve, and that includes the economics courses I've taken here at University. Before the caste system was dissolved, she was stuck inputting data into spreadsheets all day. Now, she's on the board of directors for a huge department store chain."

"Wow! So soon?" It felt like forever to Addy, but some of the caste changes hadn't rolled out until twelve years ago. To have risen so high, so fast, was impressive indeed.

"Her bosses knew her caste dissolution was coming a year and a half before it hit. They had a long time to think about what they wanted out of her brilliant brain." he bragged, chomping at his broccoli with particular pride.

"So is your dad the athletic one, then? Is he where your brothers get their brawn?"

"Nah. Dad makes scented candles."

Addy blinked. "Um… what?"

Martin laughed, "That's what we said! He kept his middle-management job for a few years after our castes were gone, he just didn't know what to do with the freedom. At least, that's what Mom says. He figured it out, though. When I was about six years old, he quit his job and stayed home to help take care of the house and make—"

"Candles?" Addy giggled.

"He sells them for good money at our local markets on Sundays."

"That's _really_ nice, Martin." Addy beamed, just imagining a kindly, older version of Martin with a few grey hairs and a few soft wrinkles around the eyes, crafting scented candles and selling them with pride at a tiny booth in a Sunday market.

"Your family sounds amazing. I'd love to meet them sometime." Addy confessed.

Martin raised his eyebrows, surprised, "Really?"

Addy glanced at their hands, uncertain, "Should I not?"

"I just… you're the _Princess_ , you know."

"Ah, but haven't you heard? I've recently been assigned a shameful demotion. I'm nothing but a common Lady now. I think it would be okay if I met them someday."

Martin marveled at her as he acknowledged her joke with a laugh, then nodded, "Well, m'lady, I hope someday you will."


	15. Chapter 14

"Bird?!" Kile marched up to Addy and Officer Weaver as they ate lunch in the dining hall. Weaver immediately stood, abandoning his food, and moved to stand sentry at a respectful distance to allow the kids a semblance of privacy.

Addy rolled her eyes, annoyed that Weaver might not have time to finish eating now. They were more than half way done with her first semester of school, but she and her security detail were still very much learning how to navigate this previously uncharted territory. Sometimes Weaver was happy to sit with her and share a meal, sometimes he wanted to protect that professional boundary. Sometimes, like now, the boundary was thrust upon them.

"Hey Kile." Addy waved. Even though he had a demanding expression on his face, and Addy was irritated that Weaver was now standing halfway across the room, it really was good to see Kile. They'd both been slammed with midterms over the last few weeks, and there hadn't been a Palace Kid Gang outing in far too long.

"We need to talk." he said, giving her a dark, significant look.

"What is it?" Addy wasn't overly concerned about his dark, significant looks. He was the closest thing to an older brother that she'd ever have, and he'd always tended to overreact when it came to her safety. Or, what he perceived to be her safety. She still remembered what a mother hen he had been back when she'd first started taking horseback riding lessons. He'd been plagued with the thought of her falling off and getting trampled, and he'd stood at the fence, arms folded, frowning in her direction the whole time she was learning. Occasionally he'd yell at her to slow down, or to be watchful. Addy's riding instructor had found it all rather amusing.

Kile now slouched into Weaver's abandoned seat, ignoring the half-finished tray of food in front of him, and glared at Addy. "Astra told me some very _interesting_ news—"

Addy choked on her iced tea, coughed it up out of her lungs, and exclaimed, "You were talking to Astra? When?"

Kile blinked, taken aback. He shifted uncomfortably under her disbelieving gaze, not having expected this inquisition to turn back on him. "Never mind that—"

"Wait, Kile, did you see her? Was she here?" Addy had a hard time imagining Astra telephoning Kile out of the blue. It wasn't impossible, but it seemed unnecessarily awkward. On the other hand, Astra wouldn't come all the way to the Kings University campus and not visit Addy, would she?

"Of course not." Kile frowned.

"You didn't see her, or she wasn't here?" Addy specified.

"I… she…" he glowered, "Forget that for a minute, will you?"

"Kile!" Addy gasped, "Are you two getting back together—"

" _Adrienne_ —" He gave her a death glare, finally sufficient enough to stop her inquiry. She lowered her chin, subdued, and he continued, "Are you _dating_ some _boy?_ " he hissed, his voice no more than a whisper so as not to be overheard by students at nearby tables.

Finally realizing what this was about, Addy rolled her eyes, "No, I'm eating lunch." she sassed.

Kile narrowed his eyes at her, taking her evasion for confirmation, "You must be out of your God-given mind." he gritted.

"It's not a big deal, Kile. We haven't even really been on a date yet—"

"Now I know you've lost it." Kile swore under his breath, recalculating his response to her. "Addy, you _know_ better. You know that your romantic choices have enormous consequences for the whole country."

"I'm not _marrying_ him, Kile!" she squeaked.

"What I'm saying is," he kept his voice perilously low, trying to avoid drawing any more attention than they already had, "It's a _big deal_. Even if you're only casually interested in this… this… _boy_ ," he spat, "It's a big deal, and you know it. What if people found out you were dating this kid? What do you think would happen?"

Addy frowned, frustrated. He was talking to her like she was stupid, he was talking about Martin like he was some little child, and most annoying of all, he wasn't even pretending to be happy for Addy. That Addy was experiencing something new and exciting. "I don't know, Kile, this is uncharted territory for me."

"Well use your imagination." He ordered. "The public would go into a frenzy, researching him, his family, his home town, anything that might tell them what kind of prince consort he could be in the future. They'll uncover his entire life story, every unfortunate incident he'd rather forget, and it'll be headline news around the world. He'll have all of the fame that former Selected have to deal with, but without any of the privileges or protections that the Palace gives to former Selected to help them cope. This isn't fair to him, Addy. You have to stop this."

Addy crossed her arms defensively, "It'll never come to that, Kile. And if it does, we'll make sure he has whatever resources he needs—"

"You don't understand." Kile scoffed. "You have no idea what it's like to deal with Palace-level scrutiny, but not be royal. It's _terrible_ , Addy."

This did not improve Addy's attitude one bit. Hearing that everyone who lived in the Palace and wasn't a Schreave thought that their lives were _terrible_ did nothing to cheer her up at all. "Anything else, Kile?" she snapped.

Kile glared at her for another moment, realizing that she wasn't going to take his advice. "Fine. Do whatever you want, _Princess_ , but don't come crying to me when it all blows up in your face."

Kile got up to storm off, but Addy couldn't let him go like that. "You don't even know him, Kile! You've never even met him, how do you know he can't handle it?"

"It's not about him. It's not even about you! It's about _your crown_."

"Well, Dad said we'd figure it out," Addy glared, playing her trump card, "So we'll figure it out. But _thanks_ for all of your support, Kile."

Kile scowled rounded away, stomping out of the dining hall before he could say anything he might regret.

* * *

When Addy returned to her house that afternoon, there was a flyer posted on front door. It was bright orange, with black sketches of leafs, a steaming mug, and a slice of pie decorating the margins. In the middle, in big, black font was written,

 _Kings University's Fall Festival!_

 _Saturday, 9 AM - Sunset!_

 _Central Commons Park_

Addy's first instinct was to ask Kile what this festival was, exactly, but she wasn't speaking to Kile after his outburst at lunch. She resolved to have Meri ask her roommate Kara, instead.

When she got upstairs, Lucas was sitting at the dining table, pouring over an essay, several textbooks open all around him for reference.

"When's it due?" Addy asked, first thing.

"Tomorrow morning." Lucas rubbed his eyes, setting his pencil down for a moment.

Addy dropped her book bag in the empty chair next to him and leant over his shoulder to read, "New Asian diplomatic history?"

"Just the way all of the various governments of the countries that unified to become New Asia integrated their various foreign policies, no big deal." he chuckled at his own understatement.

"Were they very different?" Addy asked, sympathetically.

"Addy!" Luke laughed, looking up at her, "We're talking communist dictatorships integrating with constitutional monarchies, there was a huge challenge of authority amongst the few remaining Asian islands which led to major concessions in the early days of the unification, not to mention the _Tibet_ situation."

"What was that?" Addy asked, tearing her eyes away from his mouth, and the uncharacteristic stubble surrounding it, to stare at his half-finished essay instead.

He flipped one of his textbooks open to a map and pointed, "That area had a long history of wanting independence from China, and it led to political tensions for generations. Imagine how hard it would have been to convince them to agree to join New Asia when it was first formed, basically sacrificing any hopes of gaining their independence forever."

"How'd New Asia convince them?" Addy asked, putting space between herself and Luke by swerving into the kitchen and opening up the refrigerator.

"A few ways. Some of it was by military force, some of it was through financial incentives. Some of it was good, old fashioned propaganda against Russia and the rebellious American States of China." Luke chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose, "You should see some of the stuff they made about your uncle."

"Who, Gregory Illéa?"

"Mhmm. Scandalous."

"Possibly more accurate than anybody realized at the time." Addy said darkly, popping two slices of bread in the toaster and attacking a block of cheese with a knife.

"Possibly." Luke agreed, returning his textbook to its rightful page.

"So? Why are you rushing through this essay at the last minute?" Addy asked, adopting a very Silvia-esque tone.

Luke smiled at her, she went into heart failure, and then Luke ran a hand through his dishwater blonde hair to get it out of his eyes, "I've been busy."

"With?" Addy arched an eyebrow, pulling a few paper thin slices of ham out of a deli bag, placing them on a small plate, then returning the deli bag and block of cheese to the refrigerator.

"Vanessa." Luke confessed. "We've been seeing rather a lot of each other… It's been great, but her social schedule is rather demanding."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." he changed tack. "Good partners support one another, and I like to go to social events with her as a show of support."

"Partners, eh?" Addy scrunched her nose at the word, pinching the piping hot toast out of the toaster and laying it on the plate. She stacked the ham and cheese on one side, then slathered the other with spicy, brown mustard.

"Do you have a problem with that, Adrienne?" Lucas looked up at her from his work and she froze.

"No, of course not. As long as you're happy and she's not… taking advantage of you."

"She's not." he smiled at the thought. "She's actually really generous and kind."

"I see." Addy merged the two slices of bread and cut the newly-formed sandwich in half. She rinsed the knife of all mustard, then attacked an apple with a vengeance.

"She was performing in a play this week. I saw every performance." he rested his head on his hand with a yawn. "Brought flowers to every one."

Addy gnawed at her lip, endeared against her better judgement. She _wanted_ to tell him that that had been a stupid decision. She made sure the bread bag was closed tightly and she rinsed the knife one more time, laying in on a dishtowel to dry. She tossed the apple core in the garbage, mulling it all over. "That's very sweet, Luke. I'll bet that meant a lot to her."

"It did. And going to the afterparties." he smiled. "She loves showing me off to her friends."

"That doesn't bother you? That she's bragging about dating the Prince of England?"

"Why should it? I'll never be king of anything, if she's looking for power she's barked up the wrong tree, hasn't she?"

"What if she's just looking for fame?"

Luke shrugged, "Fame will be a plague on whomever I eventually marry, I may as well vet candidates who actually _want_ it. So long as fame isn't their _only_ concern."

Addy sighed and nodded, putting Luke's teakettle on to boil. She picked up the little plate of sandwich and apple slices and placed it next to Luke, squeezing his shoulder. "Alright, then. Good luck with your paper."

Luke's blue eyes were wide, alternately staring up at her and down at the plate, astonished. "This is for _me_?"

"Yeah. It's hard to focus on an empty stomach."

"Thank you, Addy."

The genuineness of his expression took her aback, so she released his shoulder and took a step back, joking, "You can repay me by making sure I don't shrivel up and die during final examinations next month."

He laughed, "I promise to routinely check your vital signs."

"Good." She stole Luke's mug, placed fresh tea leafs into his infuser, then left it by the slowly warming kettle. All he'd have to do was pour the water. Satisfied that she'd helped her friend as much as she could, she picked up her book bag and disappeared behind the closed door of her bedroom.

* * *

"I want you all to know that I've given these assignments tremendous thought."

Professor Dearwood was leaning against her desk, arms crossed, surveying the students who remained. The class was conspicuously smaller than it had been before the week before, and it occurred to Addy that those among the missing had likely been cut from the class for underperforming.

The idea caused her stomach to ache, just thinking about being cut from this class after all of the work she'd already put into it.

"I don't say this to sound self-sacrificial." the professor continued. "I say this as a warning to you all. Do not blow off this project or save it until the last minute. Treat the time I put into it with the respect that it deserves. Or your GPA, and possibly your career in international politics, will suffer."

Here, Dearwood paused, considering her words carefully. She unfolded her arms, steepled her fingers, and pressed them to her lips for a moment before dropping them in front of her. "However, this project does serve as a tremendous opportunity for you. Perform well, and I'll be happy to submit it to my colleagues in the professional world, with only _your names_ attached. "

In front of her, Lenore's shoulders tensed, her back straightening. Addy had a feeling she'd be even more... well... _Lenore_ until their final project was done to her exacting specifications.

"Well, let's not waste any more time." Dearwood turned and picked up her briefcase and coat. "The packets bearing your last names are on my desk. Inside are your assigned countries, detailed instructions about how to format your diplomatic policy proposals, as well as best practices for researching Illéan relations with modern nations. Good luck."

And she left.

Lenore practically tripped over her own feet, racing the small distance between her desk and the professor's desk.

Addy choked back a giggle, glancing at Martin. The smile he offered her in return was slightly more forced than usual.

"What's wrong?" Addy asked, softly. It was chaos at the front of the room as a cluster of students clamored for their country assignments, so the two of them had a little bit of privacy.

"It's not big deal." Martin promised. "I just... I thought I'd do better on my midterms than I did. Especially for this seminar... I had to have a conference with Dearwood."

"Is she cutting you?" Addy reached over and grabbed his hand before she could stop herself, squeezing it urgently.

He smiled at the contact, and the panicked look on her face. "No, Addy. Not yet, anyway."

"How can I help?"

"I don't need any help. I've got some time before the next quiz, and I plan to knock her socks off when she checks our progress on the project in a few weeks."

"Yeah." Addy smiled bracingly. "Good. Just, please, if you need help studying... It could be fun, you know? Like a... a study date?"

Her mouth had gone dry at the word 'date' as she studied him for his reaction. Martin's cheeks flushed, but he grinned back at her and nodded. "I'd like that."

Before they had time to awkwardly skirt around their feelings for one another any longer, Lenore returned with a brown packet bearing 'Lee' and 'Schreave' on the cover.

"Here goes." Lenore said, sinking sideways into her desk chair so that she could twist to the side and use Addy's desk as a surface.

She sat their packet down, tremblingly pressed the metal brads together, and opened the thick envelope.

Addy tilted her head sideways to stare at the cover page to their packet. It contained only one word.

Swendway.

They were going to do a report on the current diplomatic status of Swendway, and create a proposal for a diplomatic course of action that would further improve relations between the Swendish and Illéan governments.

"Swendway?" Lenore furrowed her brow, disappointment in her tone. "They're an ally..."

"That's good, right?" Martin asked, clearly as surprised as Addy at Lenore's displeasure.

"It's too easy..." Lenore shook her head. "It'll take us five minutes to write the historical brief, for a start. Everyone knows that Illéa only became a monarchy because Gregory Illéa's daughter married into the Swendish royal family, and therefore the Illéas were gifted royal titles. We've been allies ever since."

Addy narrowed her grey eyes, glancing between Lenore and Martin quickly. She'd never really thought of Swendway as an ally before. Ever since she could remember, whenever Swendway was involved in an international situation, it was always an enormous headache for her father and her godfather.

England was an ally. Italy was an ally. They attended parties at Illéa Palace and invited Addy to visit every chance she could.

She'd never even been to Swendway.

Swendway was... something else.

Addy set aside her unease for the moment. "Well, if we've been given an easy assignment, then we have a chance to blow Dearwood away with it. That's good, right?"

"I guess." Lenore was still frowning, now flipping through the rest of the packet of instructions as if it might more satisfactorily explain. "Do you think she thinks we can't handle something more difficult? Are we at the bottom percentile of the class?" She rounded her glare on Martin, "What did _you_ make on the midterm? Did you beat us?"

Martin blushed and Addy hurried to save him from the inquisition, "I'm sure Dearwood has confidence in us. Let's just do a good job and get accepted into next semester's seminar. Then maybe she'll give us more of a challenge."

Interacting with Lenore always seemed to require all of the lessons in diplomacy and peacekeeping that her mother and father had _ever_ taught her.

Lenore had to accept defeat. "Fine. Library, Thursday?" This was her taciturn way of proposing a study session to begin work on their project.

"See you then." Addy agreed.

Lenore almost stormed out of the room in her usual rush of energy, but she paused and turned back, hand on the strap of her book bag. "Will you bring those croissants? … Please?" Her fingers lifted, as if to twiddle one of her multitude of long braids nervously, but she froze halfway and tensed her hand into a fist, instead.

Addy bit back a smile. She'd brought garlic and cheese croissants from the bakery to one of their study sessions for the midterm exam. Maybe the way to Lenore's heart was through food? This was the first real display of manners exhibited by her seminar partner, at any rate.

"Sure. Coffee, too." Addy promised.

Lenore nodded, trying to think of something else to say. Drawing a blank, she turned on her heels and left the room.

Addy waited for Martin and his partner to review their packet (They were doing the Russian Federation) and agree on a meeting time, then she made to walk Martin to his next class.

Her throat was dry and her stomach was bubbly.

It took a minute or two for Martin to comment, "You're quiet."

"Sorry." Addy winced. She was no good at this, no good at all.

"What's on your mind? Is it the project? You're going to do _great_ , you know."

"No." Addy shook her head, then realized he'd just complemented her. "I mean, thank you. But no, I'm not worried about that right now."

"What's going on? Is everything okay?"

Addy thought back to the videos she'd watched of her father's Selection. He'd told her, as they'd watched together, that he'd been close to vomiting with nerves as he'd prepared for his first date.

His very first date, and it had been with her mother.

It made Addy gulp, happy and panicked in equal measures, to think that Martin could maybe, possibly be her future children's future father. What would those children look like?

"There's going to be a fall festival..." Addy said, trying not to imagine his brown hair on a toddler.

"Oh, yeah!" Martin smiled with relief that she wasn't worried about something bad. "I went last year. It was great. There's this hot apple cider stand, if you know where to go, that also sells apple cider donuts. You've got to try them together, Addy-"

Addy stopped walking right in the middle of the sidewalk, near the entry to the park. The sky was grey, the trees were barren, but the ground at their feet was an explosion of reds and oranges, the last of the fall leafs.

She grabbed his hand while she still had the courage, and he froze, too, turning to see what had stopped her in her tracks.

"Let's go together."

"To the festival? Sure. That'd be great." He grinned.

"On a date." Addy clarified.

There was a long pause as Martin processed. "Adrienne... are you... are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes. Please."

He grinned widely and scratched at the back of his neck, bashful. "Yeah. I'd... I'd love to go on a date with you."

The nerves didn't fade, the butterflies didn't morph into anything calmer inside of Addy's stomach. She was just as jittery as before, but now she was grinning like an idiot. "Good."

She laced her fingers with his and they continued their walk through the park.


	16. Chapter 15

"Well?"

Addy giggled into her paper cup of steaming apple cider at the apprehensive look in Martin's eyes, nearly choking on the sweet, spiced substance in the process.

She didn't have the heart to tell him that they had world-class chefs at the Palace, and those chefs made a specialty of crafting the perfect holiday beverages for the Christmas and New Years balls. This apple cider, although clearly well-brewed, wasn't the best she'd ever tasted.

"It's delicious," she licked her lips with a smile.

Martin seemed to melt with relief. "Okay. Now, take a bite of donut, and after you swallow it, have another sip of cider."

Addy shrugged, eager for the full experience.

The warm, freshly fried donut in her mittened hand _was_ a novelty. Though the Palace chefs made heavenly apple cider, they never infused any of it into donut dough.

She took a bite, nodded and giggled at how closely Martin was watching her chew, and then chased the bite down with another swallow of cider.

Somehow, this sip was different. Better. The flavors in the donut set off the flavors in the cider in a brand new way. She grinned at the aftertaste in her mouth. "That's amazing, Martin!"

"Good, right?" he straightened his shoulders, pleased by her response.

"Really good."

He smiled and took a bite of his own as they continued their stroll.

The Fall Festival was in full swing in the central campus park, filled with booths of games, activities, and lots and lots of food. Aaliyah had guard duty that day, but she was doing a great job of blending in with the crowd, consistently about ten feet behind Addy and Martin at any given moment.

"So, I've never asked you…" Martin filled the silence, sipping on his cider to clear his throat of both donut and nerves, "What made you decide to come to Kings University? You've got _fairly_ goodjob prospects already, why do you need a degree?" he teased.

Addy took her time mulling over the best way to answer that one. She sipped her cider, then had another bite of donut, trying to think of where to start.

"Meri was taking the university placement examination. Meri and I have been best friends since we were born, basically, and she was feeling really nervous about the exam. She started having nightmares before she even registered. So the Palace tutor, Ms. Alvaraz, suggested I take it, too. I was young, and I had no intention of actually going to a university, so it was just supposed to be a fun challenge for me. Plus, I could study with Meri, which would help her anxiety."

"So your idea of a 'fun challenge' is taking high pressure examinations?" Martin grinned wryly.

Addy shrugged with a smile, her cheeks pink in the frosty air. "I like using my brain to solve problems. It makes me feel powerful."

" _Fee_ _l_ powerful? You _are_ powerful," he reminded her. "You're the next Queen."

"I'd like to be given that title because I'm right for the job, not just because I was born into it." Addy said thoughtfully. "The power that's mine just because I'm the next queen... I don't feel right wielding it unless I'm supplementing it with other power. Knowledge. Skill. Dedication. Whatever the job requires."

Martin scratched at his ear, "I think most people I know would use that Palace to throw epic parties and make themselves as comfortable as possible."

"Don't misunderstand, Martin, we throw _lavish_ parties and we are _extremely_ comfortable." she deadpanned, and he laughed.

"So what makes you think you need anything other than birthright to run this country?" He asked, awed. "How'd you get so... perfect?"

Addy shook her head quickly, "I'm not perfect. I... I do my best, but..." She glanced up at him, gauging his level of interest, his trustworthiness, "Honestly, most of the time, I feel like I'm faking it. Like I'm tricking people into thinking I'm smart or kind or a good princess. I keep waiting for someone to realize that they're all wrong about me. To kick me out of school, out of the line of succession, out of the Palace... I have nightmares about it a lot."

Martin nodded, glancing down at her and then returning his gaze to the leafy sidewalk ahead of them, "I think I know what you mean. I mean, obviously not about the whole... line of succession thing. I don't have the weight of an entire country on my shoulders." he shook his head, organizing his thoughts, "But when I was first accepted to Kings University, I thought there'd been a mistake. I kept waiting for a letter of apology, revoking my acceptance. I spent my whole first year of school thinking everyone else here was smarter and more interesting than I was, that they'd lead successful lives and I'd get my degree and then be unemployed for the rest of my days."

"Wow."

"Hard on myself, wasn't I?" he chuckled.

"A little." Addy smiled. "You're smart and creative and kind, Martin. You'll do great things after graduation."

He considered her for a moment, studying her face with a nod, "You, too. That's all I meant by bringing it up. You'll do great things, too."

Addy gulped, then wet her mouth with another sip of cider. "My family is interested in limiting the power of the monarchy. We'd like to hand some of this responsibility back to the people of Illéa."

"It's wonderful." Martin said.

Addy nodded, "Sometimes I think we started down this road of democratization because my Mom and Dad didn't want me to have to inherit all of the responsibilities that they've had. It's too much for one person, or even two. I think a lot of my reign will be diminishing my own authority, transitioning our constitution to allow the people a louder voice. So... yeah, Martin, I might be one of the most powerful people in the world... but I don't want to be. And I'm going to use my other powers, the ones that weren't just handed to me, the ones that I've earned, to figure out how to make things right. For Illéa, and for my family."

Martin shook his head, seemingly spellbound, "I've never heard anyone talk like you before. You're like... I don't know, you're like some kind of revolutionary. You're like one of the patriots from the American Revolution, except that you're also the British King. I don't think anyone like you has ever existed before in history. The people with absolute power have never just _handed_ it over like this." he shook his head, clearing his mind of his excitement, seeing that he'd made her a little uncomfortable with his assessment. "I just... You might not see it, but as a scholar of history, I see it. You're a _wonder_ , Adrienne. I can't believe you're real."

Addy had to take a deep breath to keep her head clear. She still didn't know exactly what he saw when he looked at her, but whatever it was, she didn't think he was seeing _her_ yet. They were still getting to know one another. So his thinking that she was a _wonder_... she was sure he believed it, she just didn't know how long he would. She gnawed at her lip, eager to change the subject to something lighter.

There had been a healthy silence now, during which they'd finished their donuts. Addy felt comfortable with a complete non-sequitur. "So, have you heard from your family lately?"

"I got a letter from Dad this morning." he grinned.

"What did he say?" Addy asked, charmed by the mental image she had of Martin's father.

"He's already getting candle orders for Christmas."

"Really? It seems early for that."

"Oh, it's early. He's excited, though. He figures this means he'll have record sales this year. He _might_ even hire a part-time assistant."

"Good for him." Addy smiled.

"Oh, yeah. He's already going on and on about which of the neighborhood kids shows the most promise to be his 'apprentice'."

Addy laughed, "I like your dad."

Martin paused, locking eyes with her for a moment, "He'd like you, too."

Addy wished she could get control of her lips. She couldn't stop grinning like an idiot on this date.

"So." Martin said. They'd arrived at a crossroads. "This way to face painting and games, this way to live music, and this way to lots more food."

Addy drained the dregs of her cider and tossed her paper cup into a nearby trashcan. Martin followed suit, stuffing his newly freed hands into his coat pockets for warmth.

"I'm not hungry enough to appreciate the food side." Addy confessed. "Maybe music?"

Martin mock bowed, "After you, M'lady."

Addy rolled her eyes as she headed off toward the distant, echoing sounds of an outdoor orchestra, "That's still treason."

* * *

Martin was a good dancer.

He spun Addy in an impromptu jig as one of the university's student-led quartets played an upbeat song, and he made no assumptions when the song ended to gave way to a slower, more intimate tune. He let Addy decide that she wanted to slow dance with him, that she wanted to be that close to him (which she really, really did).

Of course, his dancing wasn't quite up to Palace ball standards, but it was obvious to Addy that it wouldn't take much to bring Martin up to snuff. She grinned as he spun her out, and when she spun back again, she could have sworn he was holding her just a little bit closer than before.

They danced until they had stitches in their sides and had to stagger off to a clearing between booths of festival games in order to collapse beneath a tree and catch their breaths.

"So…" Addy wheezed a little, still catching her breath. She stretched languorously against the trunk of the tree and peered over at her lounging date. He lay on his side, head on his elbow, toying with the fallen leafs that formed a cushion beneath them. "I told you why I'm at university. Your turn. Why are you here? It sounds like your dad has quite the candle business for you to inherit." she teased.

Martin chuckled, "He wouldn't object if I made to assume my rightful place on _that_ throne," Addy giggled as he continued, "But to be entirely honest, I was stifled in my hometown. Smothered. I thought I'd study international politics so that I could travel in my profession, see the world. Maybe I'd even be an assistant to an ambassador or something. Honestly, at this point, I'd settle for seeing the rest of Illéa. I've only ever been to three provinces. When I think of how enormous our country is, it boggles my mind how much I still have to discover."

Addy nodded, "I know what you mean."

"I guess you must." he smiled ruefully, "As boggling as it is to consider traveling the country, it's probably ten times worse to consider _ruling_ it all."

"Hence the elections." Addy reminded him with a grin.

"Ah. All this time I thought you were being noble. Really, you Schreaves just want to be lazy."

Addy laughed, "More or less."

"Well, means to an end, I guess." Martin teased. "If you get to be lazy and the people of Illéa get fair representation, what does the motivation matter?"

"If I got to be lazy, we could spend a lot more days like this." Addy motioned around them.

"Now you're talking." he said, interestedly. "By royal decree, every day is a festival day."

"Excellent for the local economies…" Addy mused. "It would foster a strong sense of social equity… it would raise the spirits of our entire nation… yes, I think that could be sold to the advisers." she joked.

Martin poked at a few odd leafs thoughtfully. "You've traveled the world, haven't you?"

"Not the whole world." She hedged. "But… yes, in a way."

"In a way?"

"Well… when I travel, it's usually my maid who has the real adventures. Bridget. I'm kept behind bulletproof glass most of the time, guarded much more heavily than I am here on campus. I've never wandered the streets of Paris or meandered through a market in Madrid. When I travel, I stay in the palaces and only leave for special events with the hosting royal family. But Bridget? She's the one you should talk to about traveling. She sees _everything._ She's such an adventurous spirit; she eats everything, uses local transit, buys clothes from local merchants and finds a way to look stunning in them, no matter what they are."

"She lives the life we think you live." Martin mused.

"What?" Addy knitted her brow.

"That's… that's what we think your life is like, Addy. The public, I mean."

Addy shook her head, "Imagine traveling with a pet goldfish."

Martin smiled grimly, "Okay."

"The royal family is the goldfish. We can't survive outside of our glass bowl. But our staff? The advisers, assistants, and liaisons who travel with us? They're beyond the bowl. They're free of it, and can go wherever they please as long as they perform the jobs we require of them. Martin, I think you have it right. Don't be the ambassador, be the ambassador's assistant. Travel the world and really live in it."

Martin studied her closely for a moment and then grinned boyishly. "One of these days," he pledged, "I'm going to pop you in one of those plastic baggies that goldfish come in when you buy them, and I'm going to carry you all over the place. Where to first?"

Addy didn't even know how to answer that question. She'd never thought of where she'd go or what she'd do if Palace security didn't have to plan it all in advance. "I don't know…" he waited while she gnawed at her lip, then said, "Maybe a museum?"

Martin made a face at how reserved her wildest imagination was. She giggled and explained, "I've never been with the general public. They always close everything down for the royal family and give us a private tour. It's nice to be able to touch some of the artifacts, of course, but… It would also be nice to be able to wander, you know? Take it at my own pace. Discover."

"You need a disguise." Martin suggested, half-joking. "You need a black wig, a hat, sunglasses, and baggy, cheap clothes…" he trailed off, eyes wandering over the outfit she'd painstakingly chosen earlier that day. Nothing about it was baggy or cheap. His gaze lingered just long enough for heat to flush Addy's cheeks, and when he noticed, he cleared his throat and joked, "We'll give you a fake name, too. We'll call you… Paddy."

Addy snorted just like her father, " _Paddy_?"

Martin shrugged, "We'll work on the name."

"Okay." Addy laughed, knowing it would never happen, but getting plenty of enjoyment out of just hearing Martin talk about it.

* * *

Before Addy knew it, she looked away from Martin's brown eyes and found that they were nearly at the end of the park. Their date was almost over, and she realized, to her complete surprise, that she didn't want it to be. As scary as asking Martin out had been, Addy had actually had a marvelous time.

She'd watched Martin bob for apples (he'd lost the game), she'd tried her hand at tossing rings (and won herself a teddy bear to keep Elephanty company while Addy was in class), and they'd both sampled more than enough festival food to keep them full for a week.

Addy was in charge of this date, she'd been the one to ask Martin out. She'd gone through dozens of scenarios in her mind the night before, trying to prepare, but somehow she'd never considered that she might be having so much fun that she wouldn't want the date to end. She had absolutely no plan.

She could sense that Martin was about to ask what they were going to do next. If the date was going to end.

"Picture booth?" she said, before she could fully process the words in her mind. It was on the edge of the park, and there was a little bit of a line to get inside.

Martin smiled and nodded, motioning for her to lead the way, "I've always wanted to try one of these." he confessed.

"The Princess of France had one at her birthday party a couple of years ago," Addy said, enthusiastically, "It was really fun. You go inside and make the goofiest faces you can, and it takes a bunch of pictures of you."

"Well, if the _Princess of France_ endorses it, it must be good." he teased.

Addy narrowed her eyes at him, "Is that supposed to be some kind of insinuation that most people don't go to royal birthday parties?"

"Yes, that's exactly what it is." he nodded.

"Sorry, but that's ridiculous," she feigned, "Everyone I grew up with went to royal birthday parties."

" _Your_ royal birthday parties!" Martin accused.

"No! Some of them went to my _dad's_ royal birthday parties. So there." she poked her tongue out at him petulantly and he laughed.

"You're right, you win." He waved his hands in surrender, "Everyone in the world has been to a royal birthday party with picture booths except for me."

"Weirdo." Addy grinned the biggest grin. Just for this flicker of a moment, even though they both knew it was pretend, Martin had made her feel _normal_. She seized his hand with her own and swung it playfully between them, cheeks aching from smiling so much. They'd held hands a _lot_ on this date, and she liked having the freedom to touch him whenever she felt so inclined, without needing a good reason to justify it.

"You know what?" Addy looked up at the bright, vibrantly blue sky above them and watched her breath puff into the air above her. "I like lines."

"You do?" Martin asked, tilting an eyebrow at her.

"I like them a lot." Addy nodded. "If we were anywhere else in the world right now, we'd already be done with this whole festival because there wouldn't have been any lines, all day long."

"But isn't it nice to get whatever you want, whenever you want it?"

Addy lolled her head over to look at him, instead of the sky. "Sometimes, it's nice to stand still and talk with people you like. This is a whole part of the experience."

"Did you just… did you just admit that you like me?" Martin pressed down a smile.

"What? You thought I asked you on a date because I _don't_ like you?" Addy sassed.

His eyebrows rose high on his forehead and he grinned, "You've had too much sugar today, Princess." He poked at her side and she bent double-over, giggling, trying to avoid being tickled. "You're all attitude and cheek. It's not dignified."

"It's the cold air." Addy gulped a deep breath, "It's making me feisty."

They laughed, and as they did so, a gaggle of five cackling friends exited the picture booth, tripping over each other to evacuate the cramped, tiny space. The couple in line ahead of Addy and Martin went in, disappearing behind the curtain.

"What faces should we make?" Martin asked. "Can you do a fish face?"

"What's that?"

"Where you suck your cheeks in really hard and move your lips like this—" he demonstrated, sucking his cheeks in as far as he could and wiggling his lips.

Addy tried to mimic him, but she couldn't stop giggling at how ridiculous he looked.

"Okay, maybe not fish face." Martin conceded with a chuckle.

Addy peeked over at the machine to see the strip of photographs slowly being printed for the couple in the booth. "Oh, they did finger glasses." Addy grinned and demonstrated, touching her pointer finger to her thumb to make a circle, holding her hands up to her face, peeking through the circles, and lifting her fingers into the air like decorative frames.

"I could do fish face, you could do finger glasses." Martin nodded, pleased with the plan. "How many poses to we need to come up with?"

"Um…" Addy peeked again at the machine to watch what was being printed. There were six photographs in total now, but the last shot caught Addy's attention _and_ her breath in her throat.

 _Kissing?_

The boy and girl in the booth were _kissing?_

Was that even allowed? Was it expected? Did Martin know? Was he expecting a kiss? Did he not know? If he didn't know, and she tried to kiss him, he might be really upset—

"Six." Addy heard her own voice, as if from far away. The couple was leaving the picture booth now, hand in hand, coming around to see their pictures. The machine had printed two identical copies for them each to claim.

"Okay, let's see." Martin went up to the machine as the couple cleared off to explore more of the festival. "Oh, this is nice, we can tell it how many prints we want. Two, right?"

Addy nodded distractedly, wondering if she looked as pale as she felt. She supposed she'd know in a moment, when she saw the prints of the photographs that they were about to take.

"Just a second, Princess!" Aaliyah called from her position ten feet behind. She was hurrying over while radioing some kind of code word into the device that usually hung on her hip, obscured by a sweater. "I have to check the inside of the booth. It's protocol."

"Is it really?" Addy's eyebrows rose, surprised that there even _was_ protocol for something as specific as a picture booth. Had Uncle Aspen thought of _everything?_

"I just have to make sure no one's hiding in there with a giant knife or anything." Aaliyah reassured her, sweeping back the cloth barrier and peeking under and around the empty bench within. She pressed a couple of buttons in the booth, checking for something, then ducked back out. "All good. I'll be standing right here." she promised.

Addy peeked inside warily, then glanced at Aaliyah. She hadn't though that anything could go wrong with a simple picture booth, but if Uncle Aspen thought it was worth a security search—

"Go on. Have fun." Aaliyah encouraged with a wink.

Martin pulled the curtain aside and bowed with a flourish, "After you, m'lady."

"I'm not your lady, Martin." Addy exclaimed, pretending to be exasperated as she dramatically rolled her eyes, stomping into the booth. "I'm the heir to the throne, I'm nobody's _lady_."

"Oh mighty and highest of highnesses," Martin teased, joining her in the booth and letting the curtain fall behind him. They were plunged into darkness. "I, the lowest of the lows, grovel before your feet and beg of you—"

"Shut up." Addy scowled, struggling to operate the menu of options in the dark. "Tell me when you're ready and I'll hit the button."

"Yes, my liege—"

Addy poked in gently in the side in response to his goofiness, and he doubled over in a fit of laughter. Surprised, Addy struggled to find his face in the darkness, "Are you _ticklish?_ "

"Extremely. Please don't exploit me, we're in a very cramped space right now." Martin begged for mercy.

Addy agreed to grant him clemency for the moment, returning her attention to the instructions on the booth. There hadn't been anyone else in line behind them when they'd ducked in, but she didn't want to take up too much time in there, just in case someone was waiting now. She hit one of the buttons and the booth lit up with a flash. It allowed them to see, on the screen in front of them, what their pictures would look like once they were printed.

"I say we alternate goofy and serious faces." Martin suggested. "Maybe by the end, we'll end up with something nice."

"Half of your face is out of frame, scoot closer." Addy instructed, moving her own body so that they'd be centered in the image. It was moments later, after she'd hit the button that told the machine to begin the countdown and start taking pictures, that she realized how close she and Martin were sitting. Their thighs and arms were touching, their faces mere inches apart. They sat there with frozen smiles on their faces, and waited.

The first flash went off, and Martin rushed to make a goofy face. "Do something silly." He encouraged. Addy poked her tongue out experimentally, not sure how goofy she was willing to go, sitting this close to a boy she liked.

After the second flash, Martin peeked down at her and laughed, "Come on, you can do better than that. Seriously. Let loose, do something _crazy_."

Let loose? Do something crazy?

Flash.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?"

Silence.

Flash.

Martin was staring over at her, his nose almost touching her cheek. "Really?"

"We don't have to. Or I could just… on the cheek? We don't have to! I just saw the couple before us—"

"Addy, you can kiss me." he reassured her.

"On the cheek?"

"…Or …Whatever." he gulped.

Flash.

To be fair, she knew they weren't _really_ alone. She knew they were being photographed, but it _felt_ like the first moment of real privacy they'd had all day. They weren't out at a public festival full of prying eyes, and Aaliyah (who reported directly to Weaver, who in turn reported to Addy's Uncle Aspen, who reported directly to Addy's _father_ ) was on the far side of a thick curtain. It was the closest thing to privacy that they would have on their first date.

Why was she still thinking about this?

She pressed her lips to his, realizing at the last moment that she would need to tilt her head to avoid clashing noses with him. By the time she even noticed that she'd successfully navigated her way to a kiss, it was already halfway over.

It was nice, too. His lips were soft, though a little bit chapped from the cold air they'd spent their afternoon enjoying. His breath didn't smell like cider or anything, but it was fine. Medium, normal breath. She _liked_ being this close to him. Really, really liked it, actually. She could understand why people ran hands through each other's hair and up and down their backs while kissing. This togetherness was addictive. The world was big and full of problems, but here he was, really, _truly_ with her.

Flash.

She leant back and pressed her lips together, trying to study his expression in the darkness. Had she done it right? Was he disappointed? Was she supposed to have used her tongue? What, _exactly,_ was supposed to happen with her tongue?

"That was it." he whispered.

"What?" her eyes widened, no idea what he meant.

"The last picture. We're done."

"Oh!" Addy slipped out of the booth and held the curtain back for Martin, emerging into the bright, clear autumn light. She squinted as her eyes adjusted, first noticing that Aaliyah was standing guard, staring straight ahead. She hadn't peeked at the pictures, wanting to allow Addy as much privacy as possible. Addy was seized with the desire to wrap her guard in a tight, entirely unprofessional hug.

"A memento." Martin handed her one of the strips of pictures.

"Martin?"

"Hm?"

"Don't… what we…" Addy glanced nervously at Aaliyah, not wanting to give anything away, and then said, "Keep your copy tucked away, okay? The press is forbidden from following _me_ onto campus, but there's no such provision for _you_."

Martin nodded and tucked his copy, complete with photographic evidence of their very first kiss, in his jacket pocket, "My lips are sealed." he winked.

Addy smirked, "Not too tightly, I hope."

He feigned shock, " _What_ are you insinuating, Lady Adrienne?"

Addy glared, but the effect was spoiled by the sappy grin spread wide across her face.

* * *

"Tell me everything!" Meri squealed.

"Hush!" Addy looked around the diner to make sure they weren't attracting too much attention.

"Sorry." Meri swirled a fry in diner sauce, voice hushed. "I just wasn't expecting it. I didn't know you were ready for a…" she glanced at the booths nearby, saw that no one was paying them any attention, and whispered, "Kiss."

"Neither did I." Addy smiled down at the picture strip documenting her very first kiss, now placed delicately on the table next to Meri's plate. "It was an impulse decision, but I'm really glad I did it."

"Was it amazing? Did music swell? Was it fireworks? Did doves go flying by?" Meri gasped.

"Not exactly. Should it have been? Wouldn't the fireworks scare the doves?" she teased. Meri made an impatient gesture to indicate that the imagistic metaphors were unimportant, what she really wanted were juicy details. Addy smiled bashfully, "It was good."

"Just good?" Meri made a face.

" _Really_ good." Addy reassured her. "I really liked it and I… I don't know, I think it would be nice to kiss him again."

Meri honestly looked more ecstatic than Addy did, "What would it take to have permanent kissing privileges? To just walk up to him and kiss him any time you wanted to?"

"I… I never really thought about it before. I kind of thought I'd just… have a Selection, probably, and try kissing whoever was there to see if I liked it. I never thought I'd be doing this outside of the context of a public contest."

"Does this make him your _boyfriend?"_ Meri squealed, but softly.

"I… I don't know. Does it?" Addy hadn't considered this before. She'd never meant to have a _boyfriend._ She'd promised her family, her entire country, that she'd host a Selection in a couple of years. Having a serious, legitimate boyfriend seemed practically treasonous.

Meri tilted her head to the side, uncertain, "Maybe not. You'll probably have a conversation to work out the titles. Is there a legal title for the Heir's boyfriend or girlfriend? Temporary Consort, maybe?" Meri teased.

Addy groaned, collapsing back against her booth seat, "I don't want to bring titles into this. It's the first thing I've ever done that's _mine_. I don't have to share it with the entire government or the entire world, it's just for me. I don't care what we are to each other, as long as we get to leave everyone else out of it."

Meri rested her elbow on the table, her cheek in her palm, gazing wistfully in Addy's general direction. "It's the Addy version of a fairytale romance, the polar opposite of castles and tiaras and knights in shining armor. I never thought I'd live to see this day." she stared a little longer, eyes glazed over, then remembered she had an amazing burger right in front of her and she took a huge bite. As she chewed, she asked, "So what's it like to kiss? Is it wet?"

Addy winced, disgusted by the thought, " _No_. It was… warm. Soft. We didn't have any tongues or spit or anything, so it didn't taste any particular way."

Meri considered this, trying to imagine it. "I think it's supposed to be more magical than that, Bird. Aren't you supposed to realize you're in love and want to get married and live happily ever after? Or maybe realize there's no chemistry and you don't want to date anymore?"

Addy scrunched her nose, "Off of _one_ kiss?"

Meri nodded earnestly, "I'm pretty sure that's how it was for your parents. That's how they talk about it on the _Report_ , at least. Astra said her first kiss with Kile was like lightning. Was it like lightning?" Meri prodded.

"Kile and Astra aren't even together right now… I don't think." Addy wasn't 100% clear on that, but it was the best information she had to work with, "And my parents are weird, their huge romantic love story isn't realistic for most people."

"So no lightning, is what you're saying." Meri tilted an eyebrow.

Addy felt a pang of annoyance streak through her chest, "That's not real, Mer. How could anybody's very first ever kiss be perfect? Skills take practice. Were you perfect the first time you ever tried to bake cookies on your own?"

Meri narrowed her eyes at her best friend, "Is it really necessary to bring up my almost burning down the kitchen at my house?"

"They were really big flames, is all I'm saying." Addy laughed. "Martin and I didn't bash noses or sneeze on each other or anything. It was actually _really_ nice. For my first ever kiss, I'd call it a success. No ovens were lost in a heap of ash, you know?"

Meri accepted this, though reluctant to surrender her dream of lightning and fireworks and music swelling and doves flying by (all at the same time).

* * *

"You're late."

Addy glanced at Luke, already in his monogrammed pajama set and wrapped in his robe, nursing a cup of evening tea.

"Did I violate curfew, _Dad?"_ Addy teased.

"Of course not." he relented.

"I had security with me, you knew I was safe. Why even worry?" Addy went to the stove to check if the kettle still had hot water inside. It was warm, but empty.

"I was only curious." Luke promised. "You're usually tucked away with a book by now."

"I went to the diner with Meri for dinner, we spent a while catching up." Addy abandoned the kettle as a lost cause and stole Luke's tea cup, sniffing the soothing chamomile contents before pilfering a sip for herself. "That's nice, which one is that?"

"The loose leaf in the green container." Luke wasn't too disturbed by her robbery. They'd shared everything, growing up, including juice boxes and once, a very sneaky and ultimately yucky sip of red wine at a state dinner, stolen from Andrew's glass. "Have all you like, I'm going to bed."

Addy checked the time on the oven, "Are you getting up early or something? It's Saturday night."

"I'm going off campus with Vanessa tomorrow."

"What?" Addy's eyebrows shot up her forehead, "How is that possible?"

"My detail has cleared the site already, but it'll still be tricky."

"Where are you going?"

"We're going for a hike."

"On _public_ land?" Addy gaped. For security reasons, she'd only ever been allowed to hike on land that belonged to the royal family, land that was closed to the public.

"Perk of being the spare and not the heir?" Luke shrugged.

"Wow. Will you take pictures so I can see what it's like?"

Luke glanced at her, unmistakable pity flickering across his features as he realized that, in all her life, she'd never see what he was about to casually enjoy on a Sunday morning. "Of course, Bird." Then he smiled reassuringly, "It'll mostly be bugs and sticks, I'm sure."

"But _public_ bugs and sticks. Bug and stick commoners, enjoying their peasant bug and stick lives." Addy joked.

"They'll be shopping in their bug and stick town squares?"

"Maybe even preparing for the bug and stick harvest."

"The bugs will harvest food and the sticks will preserve it all in jam jars for the winter?"

"Is that what commoners do?" Addy laughed, confused. Their goofy tangent had ventured to the edges of her imagination.

"God, I don't think so." Luke laughed, too. He took the tea cup back from her, "One last sip."

When he'd had his fill and handed it back to her, Addy peered inside at the half of the mug that remained. "Is there cream in this?"

"Lots."

Addy nodded, "That explains why it's my favorite so far."

It was the cream, and _not_ the fact that she and Luke were sharing a single cup, that made the contents so very delicious.

* * *

Lenore's temper was unusually short during their next library study session, Tuesday afternoon. They were in the early stages of putting together their project, researching Illéa's diplomatic history with Swendway, dating all the way back to Katherine Illéa de Monpezat's arranged marriage to Emil de Monpezat.

Lenore turned the pages of their various reference books with practically murderous force.

Addy wasn't exactly sure whether to ask what was wrong or not. On the one hand, Lenore had made it abundantly clear that she wanted nothing to do with the Princess socially. On the other hand, they were partners, and if Lenore's ire sprung from their project, Addy figured she ought to know about it.

"Is... everything okay?" Addy ventured, cautiously.

Lenore stared at Addy for a moment, then returned her gaze to the books in front of them. "I'll figure it out."

"Can... Is there anything I can do to help?"

Again, a distrustful glare, then staring with malice at the poor, innocent book pages. "It's in here, I just haven't found it yet." she must have been reassuring herself, because the answer didn't make much sense to Addy.

"Okay. Well... let me know if I can help you look for anything. This project is important to me, too, you know."

This had been a step too far. Lenore huffed, "Oh, your entire future hangs in the balance, too? If you mess this up, you'll lose your best chance at a decent career, too? What's your backup plan, Adrienne, are you worried you might end up stuck in middle management?" she scowled.

Well, at least she'd said Addy's real name and not 'Princess' with a derisive tone, like usual. Addy shrugged placidly, "You're right. This project won't make or break my job prospects, but establishing myself as an expert on foreign affairs, capable of making my own intelligent proposals could have a huge impact on my reign. I have to impress the advisers if I want to keep them in line once I ascend. These are old, stuffy men and women who worship my dad and still think of me as a toddler in diapers. I've got to prove myself to them, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do that."

Lenore stared at Addy, but her eyebrows were relaxed. She wasn't angry anymore, she was just thinking. Finally she said, "Okay." and returned to the book.

Addy was ready to give it up as a lost cause, several minutes of diligent note taking later, when Lenore finally spoke, "Listen, you're the Princess of Illéa. You have unfair advantages when it comes to this kind of assignment, because you can talk to the King's actual advisers on Swendway and get their help. They could write the whole thing for you and give you the credit, your dad basically owns them."

"Lenore-"

"I'm not saying you would." Lenore grumbled. "That's what I thought when I first met you, it's why I didn't want to be partners, but now... you're... I don't know, you're not as spoiled as I thought you'd be. You're not stupid."

"...Thanks?"

"I know you wouldn't cheat like that, but other people might not know it. If our work is too good, there could be questions."

"Professor Dearwood wouldn't think that-"

"It's not that Dearwood's opinion doesn't matter, it's just that, for me, our peers' opinions matter, too. Those are going to be my first professional contacts, Princess, they can't think that I'm a cheater who got lucky by being paired off with a royal."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Addy narrowed her eyes, folding her arms defensively, "Do you want us to take a dive? Do a mediocre job on purpose?"

"I don't know!" Lenore snapped. "I just... No, I want us to do an amazing job, but it can't reek of Palace influence, that's all."

"Okay, I'll leave the stationary at home." Addy deadpanned. Though, she really did have special stationary appropriate to her rank and title.

"But here's the problem-" Lenore was immune to Addy's sarcasm, ignoring it completely, "There's... something wrong with our data."

"Our sources are perfect." Addy argued. They had unimpeachable encyclopedias and history books spread before them, they had documentation of exports and imports that showed the trade relationship with Swendway. There wasn't a single source that was weak or biased.

"Princess, Swendway is categorized as a close ally." Lenore said.

"Yeah, they are."

"Close ally, in Illéan governmental terms, means they have special privileges."

"I know what it means." Addy groused.

"Illéa and our allies have summits every few years, starting with King Maxon's reign. Even before then, there were scheduled tours and visitations with allies in the New Asian war."

"You think I don't know that?"

Lenore rolled her eyes, "Quit being wounded, I'm not telling you because I think you're stupid. I'm reminding you, because you've never noticed."

"Noticed what?"

"Swendway's never attended one of your father's summits, and Swendway does not host summits of its own."

"I know..."

"There's something we're missing." Lenore shrugged. "Some provision or something that we don't have here." She growled, frustrated, "Look, I don't want to use your connections, but I could... do with a little direction. It's probably mentioned in some government document that I didn't think to check."

Addy nodded, "Okay." she wracked her brain for a solution. "You know, any student can call the Palace and request information from public records, right?"

"Yes."

"It's not using my unfair influence to request that same information."

"I guess not. Can you call now?"

Addy laughed, "I was actually thinking of going home this weekend. It's been a while since I've done an episode of the _R_ _eport_ and I've been missing my family like crazy. What's the difference between calling for the information and strolling by to pick it up in person?"

Lenore was reluctant, "I guess it's fine. As long as you're only getting public information."

"I swear." Addy promised, raising her right hand as if taking an oath. "You know, you could come with me-"

"Absolutely not." Lenore scoffed.

"I'm serious-"

"So am I. You think I want any part of your gauche lifestyle?"

Addy leant back in her chair, doing her best not to be offended, "If you were wrong about me, maybe you were wrong about the Palace?"

"I've seen the Palace."

"You'd seen me too, hadn't you?" Addy pointed out, and Lenore frowned. It was a technicality, in her eyes. "Listen," Addy pressed on, "We could get a lot of work done this weekend. I'd tell the staff to leave you alone, and you could spend all the time you want in the library."

Reluctantly, oh so reluctantly, Lenore muttered, "…Library?"

"We'd only use the commonly available history books though!" Addy rushed to reassure her. "Not the rare history books-"

"Rare... history books?"

"My parents have some books in their library that, as far as anyone can tell, are the very last copies on earth." Addy tantalized. "You can read them all you want, but we won't use them for the project. It wouldn't be fair."

"You'd... what, want to have some kind of... _sleepover_ or something?" she said the word like it was vile.

"Not at all. As far as I know, no one's even using the second floor right now. You could have the whole place to yourself. Leave it boobytrapped for whatever poor suitors end up staying there during my Selection." Addy joked.

Lenore didn't laugh, but she didn't frown. It was the closest Addy had ever come to landing a joke with her.

"Do you have roommates?" Addy asked. It was a long shot of an approach, but it just might work.

"Two." Lenore frowned. Three strangers in one bedroom was a lot to handle, Addy realized. This had been the right question to ask.

"You could escape them for the whole weekend. You could get good sleep and a lot of work done, and you don't even have to meet my family if you don't want to."

Lenore wasn't convinced, though she was clearly tempted. The Palace seemed to represent everything she was against. But even so, the offer was an amazing one.

"Some of the other partners might go to each other's houses to work." Addy shrugged. "If one of them lives nearby and they want private space to spread out their research..."

The idea of having private space was what had weakened Lenore more than anything else. If she went from sharing a bedroom with two other girls, to eating in a crowded cafeteria, to classes full of students, to studying in a busy library, and back to that bedroom full of people, then Lenore's only moments of privacy came in a bathroom stall.

Addy shrugged, not wanting to push too hard, "Just think about it. The offer's on the table. You can come to my dormitory Saturday morning, if you decide you want to go. No questions asked."


	17. Chapter 16

"I really appreciate the ride, Addy." Meri jostled her overstuffed blue backpack until it squeezed under their leather seat. She'd been feeling especially homesick that week, and when she'd found out that Addy was planning a trip back to the Palace for the weekend, she'd begged for a ride. She hadn't seen her mom, dad, or kid brother since school had started.

"Honestly, I'm glad for the company." Addy grinned. "Plus, there's a good chance your dad is going to burst into tears when he sees you, and I really want to be there for that." Addy had convinced the guards to make Meri's trip home a surprise for their boss, so General Leger had no idea that he'd be reunited with his daughter in a matter of hours.

Meri sighed contentedly and curled into the corner of the seat she was sharing with Addy, cracking open a paperback book. As a literature major, Meri read and analyzed more novels than even Addy, with her own personal love of reading, could manage to keep track of. Honestly, Addy didn't know how Meri kept up with the intensity of the workload.

The two of them sat there, parked in the street in front of Addy's little student house, relaxing in comfortable silence for another minute. The guards had a lot to coordinate, with the Palace and also with the several checkpoints temporarily set up along the highway. If _anything_ happened, be it a flat tire, or Addy getting carsick, or an all out rebel assault, they'd only ever be five minutes from guard reinforcements, and ten minutes from the next closest wave of reinforcements after that.

"You know," Meri mused as she flipped a page, "It's a shame that girl isn't coming with us. Your international relations partner."

"Lenore." Addy reminded Meri.

"Yeah, she has a great name." Meri placed her thumb in the book to keep her place.

"I guess so…" Addy had never really thought about it.

"It's from an old poem—" Meri was interrupted by a tap on Addy's darkened window. Addy pressed the button to lower it and revealed Luke standing in the early morning light, holding a mysterious, delicious-smelling box bearing the logo of Addy's favorite bakery.

"Listen—" he said, but Addy was already nearly halfway out the window, trying to get at the box. Luke laughed, placing a hand on her forehead, ostensibly to hold her back, " _Listen._ I need a favor from you."

"What's in there?"

"A bribe of snacks for your journey."

"I'm listening."

"Your dad has a book in his library, it's a detailed study of the Magna Carta, including a _full reprint_. Do you know it?"

Addy knew that the Magna Carta was a _very_ old document, and that it had been used as inspiration for the constitution of the United States. It was full of ideas that Gregory Illéa had wanted kept as far from his new country as possible, and so obviously, it had been hundreds of years since it had last been printed in full in Illéa. Addy's father's copy had been a gift from the Chancellor of the German Federation for his coronation as King. A gutsy move, now that Addy thought about it.

"I've seen it before." Addy confirmed. "Are those muffins?" she looked at the box in his hands, trying to guess by the size and apparent heft.

"Could you beg your father, on my behalf, to allow me to borrow it? I'd like to use it for class. They're freshly made donuts. I got to the bakery whilst they were still hot."

"I'll beg." Addy held her hands out for the snacks. "It's the reprint you need most of all?"

"Anything would be useful, but the full reprint is the hardest to find in this country." his lips pinched briefly together in a very proper, very English display of disapproval.

"Okay, I'll come back with something for you." Addy wasn't sure if her dad would be willing to part with the book, but she was certain he'd let her make a copy of the most important sections.

Lucas' smile was swift and just a little crooked, amused and affectionate and grateful all at the same time. "Thank you very much, Princess." He handed the box, which was indeed still warm, to Addy and then waved over at Meri, "Enjoy."

"Thank you, Luke." Meri grinned mischievously, waving at him and then turning her maniacal gaze on Addy, as Luke returned to the house and Addy raised the darkly tinted window back up. "Is it just me," Meri teased, "Or does he get more handsome every single day?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Addy sniffed.

Meri shook her head, "What, going on _one_ date with Martin has rendered you legally blind?"

" _Yes._ " Addy glared. "Now stuff one of these in your mouth and stop talking."

Meri giggled, but was happy to flip the lid of the bakery box open and enjoy first pick of the treats inside.

Addy had all but forced Luke from her mind when there was another tap on her window. This time, when she rolled it down, Officer Weaver stood on the other side. "You have a visitor, Princess."

"A visitor?"

"We've got about three minutes before we get the all clear." he advised, speaking of the signal that they'd receive, telling them that it was time to leave.

Addy unbuckled her seatbelt as Weaver opened the door for her. She emerged in the chill, blue light of early morning and looked around for her mystery visitor. Was it Martin? They'd said goodbye the night before (with a kiss on the lips that had left her heart hammering) but maybe he'd wanted to see her one more time?

Addy's three usual guards were out in the yard, and there were two army-trained drivers for the Palace cars (As usual, one was a decoy car to confuse any would-be assassins). The Palace (meaning Uncle Aspen or Addy's dad) had sent two additional guards to ride in the decoy car and be prepared to save Addy's life at a moment's notice, which was a tad overdramatic for Addy's taste. When had her life ever been in _actual_ danger? The only rebels she'd ever seen, face-to-face, were her Uncle August and Aunt Georgia, and they were both harmless.

Aunt Georgia had been on The Queen's Council for Addy's entire life, the two had worked together on nearly every major project America had ever undertaken. Uncle August had been Maxon's primary rebel advisor for a long time, but it had been a couple of years since Addy could remember seeing him around the Palace. The rebel activity was gone, and Addy knew through Palace gossip that he and Maxon weren't getting along as well as they once had. He still signed the cards for Addy's Christmas and birthday presents every year, though, and Addy knew she could count on him if she ever needed him.

Needless to say, Addy had never faced any threat greater than a paper cut, but her father and Uncle Aspen still checked every closet and under every bed for monsters Addy had never known.

It only took another moment for Addy to see around the extra security and spot the visitor standing awkwardly by, clutching what looked to be a lumpy overnight bag to her stomach.

"Why are you holding her back?" Addy asked Aaliyah, waving for their guest to cross the grounds.

"Different protocol on travel days, Princess." Aaliyah said regretfully.

"Yeah, but all the students in my classes have passed security checks." Addy pointed out.

"Not _Palace_ security checks."

Addy tilted her head skeptically, "Who did the security checks, then?"

"They were done by the Palace guard," Aaliyah explained, "but they weren't the same checks we run on _Palace_ visitors."

"What's the difference?" Addy asked, having a hard time imagining that her dad had somehow approved a _weaker_ security clearance for her school.

"I… I don't know exactly." Aaliyah's cheeks colored slightly, and her eyes fell to the grass in front of them. Aaliyah was one of the first female guards Addy had ever known, and was certainly one of the youngest. Addy was sure Aaliyah's inexperience was a point of vulnerability for her.

"Okay." Addy let the subject drop, sparing her guard any further resistance, and crossed through the mass of security to greet the visitor, still standing patiently, if awkwardly, apart.

"Did you change your mind?" Addy asked hopefully.

Lenore frowned in greeting, looking like she'd rather eat dirt than do what she was about to do. "We need to work on our project this weekend, and one of my roommates is sick."

"That's too bad." Addy didn't quite follow Lenore's logic.

"I don't have time to catch a cold right now, so I need to keep away from her while she's contagious." Lenore explained. "This doesn't mean that I _want_ to go to the Palace." she rushed to explain.

"O…kay, then why are you here?" Addy was fighting back a giggle at Lenore's discomfort.

"I mean," Lenore let out a huff of indignation, "It's not that I want to go, I just don't have a choice. I'm going with you… if you'll still let me." This level of vulnerability was clearly killing her.

"Of course I will." Addy smiled broadly.

"Just don't think that I wanted this."

"No, your hand has obviously been forced." Addy failed to choke back the giggle this time, but Lenore pointedly ignored it.

"Princess, we have the all clear." Weaver announced, hurrying over to her.

"Lenore is coming, too."

Weaver froze, looking between the Princess and her clearly grouchy friend, "The Palace is a secure location, _especially_ the royal residence—"

"I didn't know the protocols were different when I invited her, I thought she'd be pre-cleared," Addy begged forgiveness with her tone of voice and clasped her hands together in supplication. " _Please_ ask Uncle Aspen to clear her while we're driving over. He's got _hours_ to get it done _,_ and we know she'll pass inspection because she's one of my classmates so she's already been checked." Addy made her eyes extra wide and imploring as she met his annoyed expression.

Weaver groaned, wiping a frustrated hand across his forehead at the extra work this would make for him. But how could he refuse her? Hadn't it been only yesterday that he'd learned to braid hair so that he could fix her pigtails when they came undone while they were on a royal tour? And the day before that, hadn't he been holding her hands so she wouldn't fall on her face as she toddled all over the Palace, learning to walk?

"Okay, fine." he grumbled.

Addy smiled her widest smile for him, breaking decorum by going on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek, "Thank you!"

"Next time, _tell me ahead of time_." he called after her, and she waved in reply, but she was already leading Lenore off to the armored car.

* * *

"Meri?!"

Uncle Aspen had excused himself from a very important meeting to greet Addy and get a report from Weaver, in person, about the ride over. He'd been standing with a few others at the side entrance when Addy's cars arrived. Upon spotting his daughter's golden head, however, his attentions had been thoroughly distracted.

He'd known to expect Lenore in the car. He had _not_ realized his precious Bumblebee would be there, too.

"Hey, Dad." Meri hurried over for a hug. "Surprise!"

Addy watched, beaming, as Meri fought back tears of relief at finally getting to hug her father again. It had been a long, hard first semester for the both of them.

"You little sneak." Aspen laughed, and Addy was pleased beyond words to find that the general had tears in his eyes, too. "I… I'm sorry, I can't take you home right now, I've got meetings until 5:00—"

"Oh, it's fine." Meri reassured him. "I'm going to get all my homework out of the way so I can spend the whole weekend with you and Mom and Herri."

"That sounds _wonderful_ , Bee." Aspen kissed the top of her head. Then, still holding his daughter tightly, he turned his attention on Addy, "Thank you, Bird."

"You're welcome." Addy grinned.

"You've got your own welcoming committee in the kitchens." he warned her.

That was all Addy needed to hear. "See you guys later." She turned to Lenore, "Ready to see the inside of the Palace?"

Lenore had been hesitant to intrude on Meri's moment with her father, instead looking pointedly up at the facade of the Palace. She'd never seen it from this angle before, and the idea that something she'd known her entire life was, in truth, so unfamiliar to her, was unsettling her. "We're going in here? Through the servant's entrance?"

Addy choked back a laugh at the ludicrous term, "Uh, this isn't a 'servant's entrance'. We don't have 'servants'. We have employees, but it's not like we own them or something."

Lenore folded her arms, not backing down, "You know half of your employees still call themselves _Pal_ because the Palace claimed ownership of them when they started working here. It hasn't been _that_ long."

Addy gulped, looking around. Most of the staff standing nearby had dispersed, though there was an attendant maid waiting, at attention, to help Addy with anything she needed.

Addy handed her backpack to the young maid with a grateful smile. She recognized her as one of the handful of maids trusted with attending the royal quarters. "Thanks Paulette, that can go on my bed. I'll unpack it later."

Paulette curtseyed deeply, then headed back into the Palace, taking an immediate left to access a service stairway. Her face had given away nothing, as far as any opinions on Addy's conversation with Lenore.

Addy returned her attention to her guest, "Lenore, this is my home—"

"That the tax payers have _generously_ allowed you to live in." Judging by her tone, Lenore seemed to think it was _too_ generous.

"My point is that I've only ever known this place as _home_. It's where I lost my first tooth and learned to swim and where my parents tucked me in at night, and where my family lives. I know things were different before my dad was King…" Addy struggled, coming up short.

Lenore hesitated, but then suggested, "You're too close to it. You know, from history lessons, what this Palace used to be, but you've never felt it."

Addy nodded, surprised at Lenore's relative flexibility. Usually she was as unyielding as steel, but the way her words, her tone, even her posture had softened rather than continue the verbal spar… it was the most understanding, the most _human_ Addy had seen her.

"All that history feels like a thousand years ago." Addy said.

Lenore shook her head in dismay, "You're so young. You honestly have no concept of time."

Addy narrowed her eyes, hiding her own amusement, "You're, what, two years older than me?"

"One and a half." Lenore replied acerbically.

Addy sighed in mock frustration, the way she might if Maisy was being particularly annoying, "My concept of time is fine. Let's go inside."

Lenore allowed her to lead the way, "Where am I sleeping?"

"You can have your pick of the second floor. I'll show you around. One of the bedrooms has a bigger bathtub than the others—" They'd only taken two steps into the kitchens when they were overwhelmingly accosted and brought to a halt.

"ADDY!"

Little kid shrieks greeted them, and Addy was knocked back against a counter covered in small bushels of fresh fruits and vegetables. She didn't need to get a good look at them to know which two munchkins were clinging to her like she was a life raft at sea.

"Rosebud! Lief! What are you doing here? Isn't it nap time?"

"No!" Lief insisted, though his words were muffled against Addy's stomach.

"Yes." the serene, adult voice on the other side of the kitchen caught Addy's attention for the first time.

"Mom!"

Addy received a smile in greeting, "It _is_ nap time, but they wouldn't settle down until they got their hands on you."

"We missed you too much!" Rosie explained.

"Aw, " Addy laughed, "I missed you, too. Both of you."

"Did you bring us treats?" Lief asked, still squeezing her tightly, despite his plea for presents.

"There's a box with _one_ donut left, in the car." Addy said. "You and Rosie can share if Mom says it's okay."

"It's fine." America reassured the kids before they could beg. " _After_ nap."

"Can you tuck us in, Addy?" Rosie whined, "I need a story."

"Addy needs to settle in, Bud, she can read to you tonight." America promised.

"And me?" Lief was adamant that he not be forgotten.

"No, I need a story _now._ " Rosie insisted. "Really long, seven, um, books long."

"You need a story that's _seven_ books long?" Addy laughed.

Lief, ever Rosie's guardian, intervened, "She means chapters."

"Kids." America got their attention using that patient, queenly voice again. It worked on all three of them, though Addy knew it wasn't being directed at her. They turned their attention to their mother, unblinking, "Give Addy kisses and hugs, and then it's time for nap."

" _Now_?!" Rosie was aghast at this devastating news.

"Yes, now."

"Awww, but she just got here!" Lief was on the verge of an exhaustion-fueled fit.

"We'll see her for snack, once you wake up." America reminded them.

"I'm _never_ sleeping." Lief was barely containing his anger and sorrow at this injustice. Addy was sure that this had been part of a deal, that her brother and sister could delay naps until they saw Addy, but then they'd have to go lay down as soon as they'd said hello. In their minds, it had probably seemed like they'd have _forever_ to spend with Addy before nap time came and ruined everything.

Addy ran both of her hands through their hair simultaneously, "Well… you _could_ stay with me." she winked at her mother to let her know that she had a plan.

"Yes!" Rosie begged.

"I'll just be unpacking my bag, preparing my laundry… brushing my teeth—" she invented, drawing from what she knew to be their _least_ favorite activities, "Taking a bath. Catching up on paperwork."

Lief and Rosie were both staring at her, repulsed but still hugging her close.

"Although…" she pretended to consider, "That might be a _little_ boring. I'll probably be done with all that by the time you wake up, though. Maybe you should just have nap time, and then we can eat snacks together with Jamesy and Maisy?"

Rosie and Lief shared a look, seeming to communicate without words.

"I don't want a bath." Rosie said, clearly wanting to make sure her brother understood her thoughts.

"I'm a _little_ tired." Lief glanced at his mother, who was laughing behind her hand.

"Alright, then." America gestured for them to come over. "That's settled." she turned her attention to Lenore, "Adrienne, would you be so kind as to introduce us to your guest?"

"Of course!" Addy smiled, now disentangled from her little siblings. They hadn't noticed the stranger standing behind Addy before, and were hurrying to America to hide shyly behind her legs. "Mom, Lief, Rosie, this is Lenore. She's my project partner for my foreign relations seminar. Lenore, this is my mom and my youngest brother and sister."

Now that Addy got a good look at her, Lenore looked like a deer frozen in headlights. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape, as she stared at America and the two littlest Schreaves. She'd probably been standing like that ever since she'd entered the kitchen.

"Of course, Lenore, it's wonderful to meet you." America smiled warmly. "Addy's told us so much about you." It was true. When she'd been home for Rosie's birthday, Addy had, indeed, mentioned Lenore's surliness and sour attitude.

Lenore was stunned into silence at seeing the Queen of Illéa in the kitchens, though she managed a clumsy, quick curtsy.

"The two of you are planning to spend most of the weekend studying?" America asked interestedly.

"Yeah, we're hoping to get ahead on our project." Addy smiled at Lenore. She'd seen the girl too sullen to speak, too outraged to speak, but never too nervous or shy to speak.

"Promise that you'll ask if you need anything?" America asked. "I never went to university, but I did help assemble the current public education system and I learned a thing or two along the way—"

"Mom?" Addy winced, "We need to be really careful to do this ourselves. We don't want anyone to think we cheated or used my influence to get ahead."

America nodded, sufficiently chastened, "Then come to me for moral support then, alright? I'll cheer the both of you on."

"Um…" Rosie was gaping at Lenore, brown eyes enormously wide, "You have _rings_ in your _hair."_

Addy looked to see what had caught her baby sister's attention so completely that she was willing to overcome her usual shyness and directly address a stranger. The golden beads that adorned the ends of Lenore's black braids were obviously what had done the trick.

"Do you like them, Bud?" Addy smiled.

"I _love_ them. Can I put rings in _my_ hair?"

Addy scrunched her brow, thinking it through, "I'll bet we can find a way to decorate your hair…"

"How did you make your hair have that much rings?" Rosie asked, breathless.

Lenore, though still visibly uncomfortable, was kind to Rosie. Addy was incredibly grateful. "How often do you get a haircut, Princess?"

"Um…" Rosie had no idea. She glanced at her mother, uncertain.

"Usually every few months or so." America supplied, smiling gratefully at Lenore's patience with Rosie.

"I go to the hair dresser every two months, and I stay for _eight_ hours." Lenore said, using a playful tone that Addy had never imagined she possessed.

"Woah!" Rosie couldn't imagine it.

"I sit in that chair for eight whole hours, and the hair dresser washes and conditions my hair with _very_ powerful conditioner, and then she braids and braids and _braids._ And right before she moves on to the next braid, she asks me if I want any beads. And at that point, I figure I've earned something sparkly and nice for my patience."

"But not every day?" Rosie asked.

Lenore took a moment to decode the question, then nodded, "That's right. I leave the braids in for two whole months. I like it because I don't have to style it every day, it saves me time in the long run. But those eight hours are very hard."

"I can't sit for eight hours." Rosie sighed, shaking her head at the thought. "But I can do a whole movie."

"When I was your age, I couldn't sit for eight hours, either." Lenore sympathized.

"When I'm at university, maybe I will be able to sit still forever and get some rings in my hair." Rosie reasoned.

"Buddy, are you going to university?" Addy asked, surprised.

America cleared her throat gently and said, "I believe all of your brothers and sisters are currently considering it, Bird."

Addy was stunned. She'd known that Jamesy had enjoyed his tour of the campus, but she'd had no idea that Maisy, Lief, and Rosie were also intrigued. What a turnaround. Addy was the first royal to attend university since Gregory Illéa, but now that she'd broken down that barrier, within the next twelve years she might become merely the first of _five_ in a single generation. She grinned with pride at the thought.

"If you don't want to sit still for so long, you could always try different braids." Lenore suggested. "Pigtails or a crown of braids…"

Rosie gasped and turned to America, "Mommy, I want a crown of braids with rings inside!"

America patted Rosie's head gently, "We'll see what we can do."

Rosie grinned toothily, eager for her future hairstyle. She turned to Lenore and said, "Then, we can be sisters of hair."

"I would like that very much, Princess."

"Alright, kids, time to go. You've stalled for long enough." America redirected her littlest children, receiving a chorus of groans in reply. She turned to Addy, "Let me know if either of you need anything." She opened her arms wide.

Addy grinned and walked into the embrace eagerly, "I missed you, Mom."

"We missed you, too. This place just isn't the same without you here." America patted the back of Addy's hair and sighed, a little sadly. "You're taller. Did you know that?"

"Am I?"

America pressed a kiss to Addy's forehead, "It's not fair. Before you were born I told your father that we weren't to have _any_ teenagers for children. Babies only. Teenagers grow up and become adults who don't need their parents, and that's not what I signed up for."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Addy giggled.

"It's fine." America released her. "Just shrink back down to a baby and I'll forgive you."

"Okay, no problem." Addy joked.

America dipped down and scooped Rosie onto her hip, "You too, Rosebud. You have to stop getting older right this second. This is the biggest you're allowed to grow."

"No!" Rosie cheered, "I'm growing bigger than Daddy!"

"Wow!" America feigned a gasp of awe, " _That_ big?"

"I'm growing bigger than the Palace!" Rosie added, excitedly.

"Yikes." Addy laughed, imagining Rosie at seven stories tall.

America carried Rosie and took Lief by the hand, setting off to the staircase that would lead them directly to the third floor, and Addy could hear Rosie elaborating the whole way, "I'm growing bigger than Angeles!"

Addy shook her head, chuckling, and not really surprised to find that Lenore was _not_ smiling.

"Thank you… for being kind to my sister. That means a lot to me."

Lenore frowned ever so slightly, "Of course I was kind to her. I'm not a monster, I wouldn't be cruel to a little kid."

"I know." To be honest, it was still hard for Addy to predict when and why Lenore would soften her approach socializing. "But still. My family means everything to me, and I know they can be overwhelming. I didn't know they'd be waiting to greet us, or I would have asked them to give you time to settle in without a royal visitation—"

"This isn't just a royal palace. I'm in your home, right?" Lenore said, referencing the conversation they'd been having outside.

"Well, yeah."

"So I'm meeting your family. I'm not mad. If we were studying at my house, you'd meet my family. It's not your fault your mom is the only Queen I've ever known."

"We try to separate our public personas from our private lives, if that helps you at all." Addy mentioned, realizing that maybe Lenore would be capable of doing the same. "She wasn't being 'Queen' just then, she was being 'Mom'. We like to give ourselves space to focus on our private relationships."

"That makes sense. It's impressive. Your mother is always the Queen, there's no meaningful way to turn that off, and she knows that, but she still tries."

"Do you like her?" Addy asked, hopeful. It certainly sounded like it.

"Everyone adores her."

"I guess that's the answer to some question…" Addy teased, "just not the one that I asked."

"I think she's done wonderful things with the power she's been given… I just don't think that she should have been given so much power."

Addy's stomach swooped, some combination of social anxiety and defensiveness and disappointment. It was true that her mother was the most powerful Queen in the history of Illéa, and many people didn't like that she attended so many meetings and made so many decisions jointly with Addy's dad. But Addy had always been proud of her mother, proud that she kept the Palace running and still had time to make the country a better place and help her father in the most important meetings, and be a loving mother to all of her children. How could anyone who'd met her mother not feel that same pride?

Even so, she had to admire Lenore's pure, unadulterated nerve. To stand in the Palace, curtsy to the Queen and five minutes later tell the heir to the throne that the monarchy had too much power. At least Addy could count on Lenore to speak her mind.

Addy took a deep, calming breath, but before she could come up with a levelheaded transition to a different topic of conversation, Lenore added, "They're… they're cute. The Prince and Princess."

"Yeah," Addy smiled bracingly, accepting the olive branch, "We like them."

"They're just normal kids. They're a lot like my little cousins, always trying to get out of nap time and fascinated with anything shiny. I don't know why I expected them to be… spoiled, or something."

Addy didn't take it personally, knowing what their lives must look like from the outside. She motioned for Lenore to follow her out of the kitchens and into the main corridors of the Palace, "Trust me, it's a constant battle. They're showered with free gifts from companies all over the world, all the time. Most of it never makes it into the Palace, we send it straight to our various charities for donation. Even so, they've never wanted for anything in their lives."

"It's not even that." Lenore shook her head, taking her time with her words. "Are they spending the whole day with your mother?"

"I guess."

"I didn't know she did that. The Queen, I mean. I didn't realize she was such a… normal mother. I thought you'd have nannies or something."

"Well, we do. We have my Aunt Kenna, she's always helped take care of us. Whenever Aunt May is in town, she likes to take a turn babysitting. We have tutors, like Miss Alvaraz, who keep an eye on us while we're learning. But, honestly, my mom and dad have always tried to spend as much time with us as possible. Every time they have a new baby, until that baby is old enough for reading and writing lessons, it spends a few days a week bouncing between Mom's and Dad's office."

"What do you mean?"

"With all of us Schreave kids, before we were old enough for lessons, we'd spend a few mornings a week with Mom and a few afternoons with Dad, or vice versa. Their offices are only separated by a door, and they leave it open if they aren't in meetings, so we all spent the first few years of our lives crawling back and forth, playing with whatever toys they had for us, napping on sofas or, when we were little babies who couldn't roll around, on a fluffy blanket laid on a cleared section of their desk."

Lenore seemed pleasantly surprised, "It must have been nice. Most parents don't have that option." Another pointed observance of their royal privilege.

"It was very nice." Addy acknowledged.

"I didn't realize the King and Queen were really so involved with all of you."

"You didn't?" Addy didn't understand. Her mom and dad were a fairytale romance, the whole country had watched them fall in love, get married, and fill the Palace with adorable babies. They still occasionally filmed 'date nights' for the _Report_ and everything. "What did you think?"

Lenore shrugged, "I don't know. There are always specials on the television,heavily polished 'glimpses' at the royal family… it just seems like propaganda. Fake."

This was news to Addy to say the least. She'd thought everyone in the whole world knew how amazing her parents were. It was part of the pressure, growing up as the next royal in line. She'd have to live up to their legacy, not just in her work, but in her personal life, too. How could she ever be half the wife her mother was, half the mother her mother was, and still be half the King her father was?

Addy spent a moment thinking it over, trying to find the source of the miscommunication. "The relationships are very real… but I guess the _motives_ are propagandized. We usually only do those videos when we need the people to feel a certain way about us. But we don't lie in them."

"Maybe that's what I was picking up on." Lenore jostled her bag on her shoulder. "I guess I sensed that _some_ part of it was just for show, and I came to the wrong conclusion."

Addy knew she'd have to bring this up with Gavril. If their public relations strategies needed revamping, he needed to know as soon as possible. For the moment, though, she pushed the thought aside as they emerged on the second floor.

Compared to the first floor, bustling with the business of running the government and maintaining the Palace, the second floor was a ghost town. Somehow, Addy suspected that Lenore would appreciate the peace and quiet.

"So, I recommend the second room on the right." Addy said, leading the way to the room in question. "It's got a huge bathtub and a decent view out the windows." Addy opened the door to the bedroom and showed Lenore the ins and outs. It had all the usual features of a Palace guest room, an enormous, empty closet, a big, cushy four poster bed, and a vanity replete with storage for makeup and hair accessories.

"It's… too much." Lenore looked pained, like her worst nightmares had just come true.

"Well, the other one I like is just down the hall. The bathtub is normal, but the view is _amazing_ and it has its own little balcony…"

"Do you have anything smaller? Plainer?" Lenore asked. She sounded almost vulnerable, Addy hated to refuse her.

"Well…" Addy winced, sitting down on the impeccably made bed and pulling one of the many fluffy pillows into her lap, "The thing is, there _are_ more modest rooms in the Palace. They're for Palace staff, like maids and butlers and guards, and there are others for important advisers to my parents."

"The advisers _live_ here?" Lenore gaped.

"Sort of. The senior advisers work impossibly long hours, sometimes several days straight if there's an emergency. So they have rooms here for resting and showering when they get the chance. But most of them also have a house somewhere else, a place to get away from it all during the less busy times."

"Is one of those adviser rooms open? This is just too much for me." she gestured vaguely at the opulence that surrounded them.

Addy traced the delicate seam of the pillowcase, "The thing is, they're in a part of the Palace that's… private."

"I don't understand."

"When the maids, the guards, and the advisers are around us… the royal family, I mean… they have a strict protocol. They have to stand a certain way and bow and give us their complete attention. But they _live_ at this Palace most of the time; this is their home, too. The royal family has had a private third floor for… ever," Addy explained, "And we try to let the staff and advisers have private spaces of their own. We don't really go to the part of the Palace where their bedrooms and barracks are. If we did, it would disrupt their free time and they'd be sacrificing the only part of their whole day that's not inherently about serving us." Addy peeked up at Lenore, hoping for some understanding, "I want you to be comfortable this weekend, and any other time you come stay with me, but I can't intrude on their private lives like that. I'm _really_ sorry."

Lenore actually smiled.

Well, it was more of a slight tugging of her lips in an upward direction, and it was over in a heartbeat, but Addy was almost certain it had been real. When she spoke, Lenore's tone was _almost_ impressed, "Your family is very considerate."

Addy rolled her eyes and flopped back on the bed, "Don't give us extra points for being decent human beings, Lenore. That's a baseline standard of behavior."

"No extra points, then." Lenore agreed. She set her bag down at the foot of the bed. "This room will be fine. It's… gaudy, but I can live with it."

Lenore laughed, "It was decorated by my grandmother."

"Oh." Lenore's eyes went wide, afraid she'd hurt Addy's feelings.

"No, I mean, _of course_ it's gaudy. The fashion has changed." Addy sat back up and shrugged, "My mom could have fixed it, but she's always had too many other projects going on."

"No time to pick out curtain fabric?" Lenore smirked.

"No money." Addy giggled, "She ruthlessly pillaged the Palace decorative funds and used them for all of her pet projects. The clinics and libraries and stuff."

Lenore's eyebrows rose, and she finally perched delicately on the end of the bed, across from Addy, "I'm surprised she was allowed to do that."

Addy had never really thought about it before, "Well, she's the Queen. That's one of the perks of having absolute power." She paused, biting her lip. They were back to uncomfortable territory, discussing the different powers of the monarchy, but Addy was hoping they'd be able to find some sort of compromise. She conceded, "… I guess it's also a danger… like if the wrong person got their hands on the budget…"

Lenore nodded gravely, "There should be more safeguards in place to prevent unilateral budget reallocations—"

"I couldn't agree more." Addy realized, "Even if it makes my dad's job a little harder, there _need_ to be outside checks on the national budget. Right now it's just my parents, a few advisers, and some accountants in a room together, slicing up the surplus however they want." It was something her parents discussed every year, around budget time. But by the time they'd gone several rounds with Jepsen, they were too tired to go through the process of drafting, testing, and eventually adding new regulations. It was already hard enough to run the country, at the end of the day, it felt like there were already lots of checks on Maxon's and America's powers.

"Your grandfather spent the whole budget on war." Lenore reminded Addy, her voice grave.

"Well, my dad has spent it all on roads and schools. Domestic projects." Addy reminded her.

"They were both wrong."

Addy frowned, a flare of defensiveness heating up her chest. This time there was none of the shame or social awkwardness tempering her response, "My dad has done a _wonderful_ job—"

"Sure, he's done wonderful things, but he's done them all the wrong way." Lenore countered deftly. "You already know that, Adrienne."

"That's ridiculous. And also, that's _sedition._ " Addy reminded her.

Lenore's dark eyebrows flew up, "Sedition? _Really_? Is your monarchy so _weak_ that just talking about an idea you don't agree is a crime? What, exactly, is the punishment for sedition these days, Princess?"

"It used to be death." Addy glared. "Now, it's assessed by local judiciaries and the punishments are assigned on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes it's a fine, sometimes it's time in jail."

"What do I merit? A fine or jail?" Lenore challenged.

"An eye roll." Addy declared, annoyed. "My dad is one of the greatest kings this country has ever known."

"If that were true, he'd be frantically working to check his own power. He'd be bogging himself down with failsafes to protect our country from the inevitable rise of another dictator. If he knows he's so exceptional, then he needs to be taking steps to protect us from a king or queen who's merely average, or God forbid, subpar."

"Well maybe he's not that worried about _me_ destroying the country." Addy gulped down a lump in her throat. She was hurtling past anger and defensiveness and quickly arriving at hurt. "Maybe _he_ thinks I'll do way more good than harm with the powers of the monarchy. Maybe he doesn't think I'm 'average' or 'subpar', and he wants me to have all of the tools for a successful reign that he can possibly give me."

Lenore noticed the look on Addy's face, took in her closed off, defensive posture, and immediately backed down, "I'm sure that's true, Adrienne. But what we're talking about… the vulnerabilities in our constitution… they're not about _you_." Off of Addy's disbelieving look, Lenore reassured her, "They're not! And they're not about your dad, either, who I'm sure is a good person."

"He's a _great_ person." If she'd been on the outside looking in at the situation, Addy would have noticed that she was pouting.

Lenore was the most patient she'd ever been with Addy when she said, "It _isn't_ personal. Nobody should have that much power, no matter how they plan to use it. It's too dangerous."

"We have local elections for local government." Addy reminded Lenore. "We're not dictators."

"You _are_ dictators," Lenore waved a hand as if to say that it was beyond dispute, "but benevolent. More benevolent than I ever realized… but dictators nonetheless."

Addy scowled and joked, "Maybe you'd be more comfortable in the dungeons."

Lenore traced a finger along the oppressively floral duvet. "Maybe I would."

The absurdity of it made Addy laugh, though it came out choked because she was trying to suppress it. "This isn't over." Addy stood up from the bed and folded her arms. "But I want to go hug the rest of my family, including your dictatorial overlord, so I'll have to change your mind later."

"You can't change my mind." Lenore warned her. "I'm right. Our country is in _desperate_ need of reform."

Addy ignored the warning, "Do you want a maid? Someone to take care of you?"

"God, no." Lenore winced at the thought.

"Okay, just checking. I'll tell the guards that you're welcome on the third floor anytime you want to come up. Though, given your views about how horrible we are, you probably won't want to risk bumping into the rest of the royal family."

"Probably not." Lenore agreed.

"You can go wherever you want in the Palace, but again, we try to stay out of the staff's private quarters, and we try not to bother the employees in their offices on the first floor."

"That's reasonable."

"But the pool, the movie theater, the gardens, the library… they're all yours."

"They _are_ mine." Lenore agreed with a smirk. "My family has been helping to pay for them for generations."

Addy groaned, "You're killing me."

"I know." Lenore actually chuckled.

Addy threw her arms up and let them fall to her sides, a gesture of annoyance and surrender, "I'll see you in a little bit."

"How deeply am I supposed to curtsey when you leave the room?" Lenore teased.

Addy ignored her, crossing the threshold out into the hallway, "Goodbye."

"Or should I just grovel at your feet instead?" she pretended to postulate, loudly.

Addy shut the door with a definitive click and hurried away before she could be subjected to more teasing.

* * *

Addy spent the afternoon with Jamesy and Maisy, and they all joined their little brother and sister for a Schreave kid (plus Mommy) snack time. As a surprise, a few minutes into their snack, Maxon appeared in the doorway. He'd rushed through a phone call with the mayor of one of the provinces so that he could join them, and he peppered everyone in the family room with a barrage of kisses, even old Wilberforth, at the sight of his whole family together again.

"Daddy, why do you kiss Mommy?" Rosie asked.

Maxon, who'd been assaulting America's cheekbones with his lips just a moment before, turned to his baby girl, "Because I love her."

"Do you kiss everyone you love?"

"Very nearly."

Rosie stood up from where she'd been sitting, criss-crossed, on the floor, enjoying her half of the donut that Addy had promised her. She had crumbs on her dress and peppering her lips and fingers. "Do you love my nose?"

"Yes, I do!" Maxon grinned, and to demonstrate his affection, he pecked her nose with a kiss.

This was exactly what Rosie had been angling for. "Do you love…. my… ear?" she laughed at the game.

"Very much." Maxon pecked the top of her ear.

"Do you love myyyyy… finger?" she invented.

Maxon laughed at her obvious ploy for affection, but eagerly obliged her by pressing a kiss to the pad of one of her fingers, "Do _you_ love attention?" he teased, sweeping her up off the floor and horizontal in his lap.

She collapsed in a fit of giggles, cradled in his arms, "Yes!"

"I can tell." Maxon tickled her, which only increased the volume of her laughter.

America's cheeks hurt from smiling so much, reunited with all of her children and sharing the moment with Maxon. She rubbed the aching muscles and made to give herself a moment to recover by changing the topic of conversation.

"Addy, tell us about your friend." she encouraged.

"What friend?" Maisy demanded, amazed. Addy had never had friends beyond the Palace kid gang before. The idea of Addy having a mysterious outsider friend was enticing to say the least.

"I don't know if we're _friends_ …" Addy hedged, not wanting to get their hopes up. Lenore was a complicated case.

For her part, Addy was sitting on the floor with Lief in her lap. They were playing a silly game wherein he held his arms behind his back and they pretended Addy's arms were his. Addy had her arms poked out from his armpits, and she was feeding him his snacks and drinks through copious giggles, as she occasionally missed his mouth by accident (or on purpose).

"My nose sure does itch!" Lief proclaimed dramatically.

Addy pressed a kiss to his neatly combed red hair (freshly fixed after nap time by their mother), then lifted her right hand to his nose, gently scratching the tip and pretending, for a moment, that she might poke her finger into his nostril. She held her finger perilously close to his nose and gasped, "Ew, Lief, don't pick your nose in public!"

Lief couldn't respond through his snorting, wheezing laughter. He tossed his head back, he was laughing so hard, and it thunked delightfully against Addy's chest.

America was losing the battle against her aching cheeks again. Still trying to distract herself by learning more about her daughter's burgeoning social life, she said to Maisy, "Adrienne brought a schoolmate to stay at the Palace this weekend. She's from one of your classes, right Bird? You told us about her on your last visit."

"Yeah, she's my project partner in my international politics seminar."

"That's the one that Yvellin Dearwood is teaching, isn't it?" Maxon asked with interest. "How have you been liking it? She's truly brilliant."

"She is." Addy hesitantly agreed. Merciless, but undeniably brilliant. They'd already lost another classmate to Dearwood's ruthless cuts. Addy had stress nightmares about it all the time.

"You met her when you were a baby." Maxon mused, oblivious to Addy's equivocal tone, "Did you know that?"

Addy laughed as the mental image of Dearwood sternly interacting with a newborn baby flashed across her mind, "No, that's so weird."

Maxon scooped Rosie up and returned her to the floor so that she could finish her snack. "I don't suppose she's mentioned it to you?"

"No. She hasn't said a single word to me, individually." Addy said.

"Oh." Maxon gave a surprised but approving nod, "That's good. She's treating you like a normal student, then?"

"Everyone is."

"That's wonderful." Maxon smiled proudly, a distinct look he wore every time he was, demonstrably, able to give his children something better than what he'd been given.

"So how did I come to meet her as a baby?" Addy asked curiously, taking advantage of their game to wipe Lief's face of snack crumbs without too much fuss. He usually wouldn't let anyone else help him wipe his face, but since they were 'his arms', he let Addy scrub him clean.

"She advised on an international summit a few weeks after you were born. She and our ambassadors actually helped us avoid war. It was a tremendous feat. My reign would have been very different without her efforts."

"That's amazing." Addy played a pat-a-cake on Lief's knees, dancing her hands around as he cheered.

"You know, Addy," America mused, leaning in as Maxon wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "some of your classmates from that seminar might become your future advisers. You're making invaluable connections at that school."

Addy released Lief, who booed that their game was over, and then she stood, dusted off her knees, and joined her parents on the couch. "Do you think she'll ever advise me? Professor Dearwood?"

"She certainly will if you ask her to." Maxon said, plaintively.

Addy shook her head, eyes widening at the thought, "Wow. When I'm Queen, _all_ of the advisers will work for me."

"Yes, they will." Maxon smirked. "Has that thought started keeping you up at night, yet?"

Addy slapped her hand against her forehead, "Now it will."

Maxon chuckled, "It'll be an adjustment for all of you, but if you're strong and clear as a leader, they'll follow."

"I don't feel strong and clear." Addy sighed, dreading the first time she had to give one of her dad's advisers an order. "I feel weak and fuzzy."

"Hey," America shook her head seriously, "That's not the daughter we raised."

Addy groaned and collapsed her head back against the couch dramatically, "I think _Maisy_ should be queen."

"Ew!" Maisy complained at being drafted into that service. She was helping Rosie access a juice box on the other side of the room, but she'd heard her name clearly enough, "No way!"

Addy laughed, then lifted her head back up off the couch. Her parents were smiling, but there was something rueful in their expressions, as if they half-wished that none of their children would have to be Queen.

"'Strong and clear' isn't a feeling, Bird." Maxon reassured her. "It's behavioral, not emotional."

"That's your father's way of saying, it's all a show." America winked.

The thought amused her, "Are you telling me that you're just _pretending_ to be a good King?"

Maxon sighed, as if in great relief, and exaggeratedly collapsed his shoulders into a slump, "Whew. I've been found out, Ames. We don't have to lie anymore."

America patted his knee sympathetically, "That's right, now we can flee to Italy and live out our days as exiled charlatans."

Addy winced as her parents kissed each other, "You two are ridiculous."

"Do you hear that, Ames? Our daughter says we're ridiculous. How's that for gratitude?" Maxon feigned offense.

"We fed you and clothed you and raised you from a baby, and now you have the nerve to call us 'ridiculous'?" America goaded.

"This is a scandal." Maxon complained.

"You're not helping your case right now." Addy warned them, lifting an eyebrow at their antics. She felt herself wearing a distinctly 'Aunt Silvia' demeanor.

"I suppose we should be glad that you're unafraid to speak truth to power." Maxon hedged, grinning and ending the charade.

"So, Addy," America checked her watch, noting that they only had a few minutes left in their afternoon break, "You mentioned you'd be working on your project this weekend. I take it you'll be using the main library?"

"Yeah, hopefully we can get some work done."

"What sort of project is it?" Maxon asked eagerly, "Can I help?"

Addy hated to disappoint him. She knew how excited he was for her. "I don't think you should. Like I said to Mom earlier, Lenore and I need to do this on our own."

"I see. Of course."

"If it seemed like you did this project for us, we'd lose all our credibility at school."

Maxon nodded his understanding, but Addy detected the slightest echo of a crestfallen look on his face.

"You know, Dad, once you retire, you could take classes at the University." Addy smiled.

Maxon hadn't considered this. He scratched his smooth chin, then shook his head, "No. It's a nice thought, Bird, but once I retire, I'm touring the entire world with your mother."

America grinned at the thought, "At least once, maybe twice."

"You'll have _decades_ to do whatever you want." Addy encouraged him. "Everything you never got to do when you were my age. I'm sure they'd let you take classes at the University. They'd be honored."

"You're tempting me, Addy. You know, I could draft the succession paperwork now." Maxon offered. "Want to ascend to the throne a few years early, Bird?"

"No!" Addy laughed. "I can't be Queen _and_ finish my proposal on Swendway by December 15th, Daddy."

She was expecting her parents to laugh at her joke. It wasn't particularly funny, but her family _loved_ to joke and tease and laugh at every little thing. This time, however, she wasn't even rewarded with a smile, which made her feel like she'd made a serious social miscalculation somehow. Though they were looking at Addy rather than each other, her mother and father both wore identical expressions on their faces. Tense lips, and a slight furrow on their eyebrows.

"What are you talking about, Adrienne?" America asked.

"…The project that Lenore and I are doing for seminar," Addy explained, feeling, based on their expressions, like she'd just been caught sneaking cookies from the kitchens and was about to be put in timeout. "It's a diplomatic proposal. I'm sure I told you about it before… Everyone in the seminar was paired into groups, and we're supposed to learn about relations between Illéa and one other country. Lenore and I are doing Swendway."

Her parents' expressions were still completely frozen. They'd now garnered Jamesy's and Maisy's attention from across the room, though Lief and Rosie were still oblivious, now happily playing with their toys.

America said, "Why on earth did the two of you choose Swendway?"

Addy looked back and forth between her parents, "We didn't choose. Professor Dearwood assigned everything based on our midterms performance."

Maxon's nostrils flared, but otherwise his face remained impassive, "Yvellin Dearwood assigned a research project on Illéan relations with Swendway to _you_?"

"And Lenore." Addy was sure that was beside the point, she just didn't know what the point was.

"I see." Maxon scowled, checking his watch and meeting America's gaze, "I've got to get back to work. Would you walk me back to my office, my Love?"

"Yes." America instantly agreed, relieved he'd thought of it, and sprang to her feet. "Maisy? Jamesy? Would you keep an eye on the Littles until I get back from the first floor?"

"Sure." Maisy shrugged, glancing at the younger siblings in question.

"Thanks, guys." America smiled, offering Maxon an arm up. The two were attached at the hip as Maxon announced, "I'll see everyone at dinner tonight."

The moment the door closed behind Maxon and America, Jamesy and Maisy hurried across the room to join Addy on the couch.

"That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen!" Maisy gaped.

Addy nodded, "What was that about? Is it Swendway?"

"I don't know." Jamesy scratched at his blonde hair.

"What else could it have been?" Maisy lifted an eyebrow, "You think they'd act like _that_ over Addy doing homework? Of course not. It _had_ to have been Swendway."

Addy was baffled, "What's wrong with Swendway, though? I mean… I know they don't visit much."

"Ever." Jamesy corrected her. "And we've never visited them, either."

"They're still allies, though." Addy said, thinking of what she'd learned in class.

"Huh." Maisy marveled. Apparently she, like Addy, had never really thought of them in the same league as England, Italy, or even New Asia.

Jamesy had thought about it, though. He was learning a lot now that he'd assumed Addy's day-to-day responsibilities, "But the Swendish royal family are supposed to be our relatives. How is it that we see the Queen of Italy a couple of times a year, and we've never met our Swendish cousins?"

"That's pretty suspicious," Maisy admitted, "I mean, what's the point of calling each other 'allies' if we don't actually treat each other like allies?"

Jamesy, Maisy, and Addy shared significant, albeit puzzled looks. It was Jamesy who said what they were all thinking.

"There's definitely _something_ they're not telling us."

* * *

After stopping by her bedroom to freshen up and change into a pair of slacks and a blouse (her first time wearing work clothes in a long while), Addy returned to the second floor to find Lenore sprawled across the bed, notes in front of her, creating a list of everything that they needed to get done over the weekend.

"Hey, the offices will be closing soon." Addy said, knocking on the doorframe to announce her presence. "Do you want to run down there with me and see if we can get the file on Swendway?"

"Good idea." Lenore swept aside her spiral notebook and slid on her shoes. "You look… formal."

"Well, yeah, I try to look professional when I'm interacting with my future employees." Addy shrugged. "They can't know I have polar bear pajamas, they wouldn't respect my authority."

"You have polar bear pajamas?" Lenore shook her head, "What am I saying? _Of course_ you have polar bear pajamas. You probably sleep with a stuffed animal, too."

"Hey! My jammies are really cute!" Addy defended herself, purposefully navigating the topic away from Elephanty. "Anyway, they're only for the coldest parts of winter. I don't wear them every single night. …I kinda wish I could, though."

Lenore snorted and followed Addy out of the room and toward the nearest staircase.

As they walked along the first floor, through a maze of hallways away from the residential side of the Palace and toward the governmental offices, every guard or maid or assistant to an adviser who they passed, bowed or curtseyed and stepped aside until Addy walked by. This was a standard sign of respect for the importance Addy held in the hierarchy of the Illéan government, but Lenore had never experienced it before. Addy blushed, wishing they'd all just ignore her, and grateful that Lenore held her tongue (though she did toss an occasional smirk or quirked eyebrow in Addy's direction).

It was a relief to arrive at Aunt Silvia's office and be shown in by one of her junior assistants. Once Aunt Silvia was done curtseying (there was no point trying to stop her, even though she was one of the people who'd helped raise Addy from a baby), they'd have a break from the embarrassing formality.

"How may I help you, Princess?" Aunt Silvia asked, once her curtsey was complete, gesturing for Addy and Lenore to take seats across from her desk.

"I need some information, and I wasn't exactly sure who to ask for help." Addy confessed.

"Well, whatever it is, I'd be happy to point you in the right direction." Aunt Silvia smiled indulgently.

"Thank you." Addy paused, turning to Lenore, not exactly sure how they should proceed.

Lenore didn't hesitate. "We need any public information that the Palace will release regarding Swendway."

Lady Silvia blinked, her smile freezing into place on her face, "Swendway? What sort of information are you looking for?"

Addy supplied, "We'll take what we can get, but specifically, we don't have an updated list of provisions on their 'Close Ally' status."

"What makes you think there are provisions in place?" Lady Silvia's frozen expression was now exactly as bizarre as Addy's parents' reaction to her mentioning Swendway had been. Whatever was going on, Lady Silvia definitely knew about it.

Addy pointed out, "Well, to start with, I've never even met the royal family of Swendway before. Regular royal visitations are part of the privileges that our close allies enjoy. Why didn't they want to come to any of my birthday parties? Why haven't I been invited to theirs? There must be some kind of special provision to account for their absence."

"I'm afraid I don't know of any public records request that could help you." Aunt Silvia frowned.

"What about the ambassador?" Addy asked. "Surely they could help us?"

"Which ambassador, dear?"

"The Swendish ambassador to Illéa." Addy said, as though this should have been obvious.

"I… I'm afraid that post is empty for the moment." Aunt Silvia only seemed to be admitting this because she had no other choice.

Addy glanced over at Lenore, totally taken aback. It was one thing to have abnormal diplomatic visits. But not to have a diplomat at all?

Lenore seemed to be sharing the exact same thought. "Is there a number we can call for Illéa's ambassador to Swendway, then? I'm sure _they_ have public records we could use." Lenore said.

Aunt Silvia didn't say anything at all, not sure of the best way to respond. Her eyes danced between the two girls, and then down to her desk.

Neither of the girls knew exactly how to interpret her silence. Addy said, "I'm sure whoever it is would take a call from me, Aunt Silvia." Then she rushed to explain to Lenore, "I don't want to use my status, but if it's the only way we can finish our project…"

Lenore nodded grimly.

Aunt Silvia dodged the question, "Why don't you let me ask around for you? Your father's advisers are good about supplying me with everything I need to keep your mother informed. I'll bet I can dig something up for you by tomorrow morning."

It was an incredibly polite dismissal. Aunt Silvia wanted this meeting over with.

Addy nodded to Lenore to stop her from objecting, "Thank you. We'd appreciate the help."

Lenore scowled but held her tongue until they were back in the hallway, and the door to Aunt Silvia's office was closed.

"Why didn't you press her?" Lenore snapped, though she kept her voice to a whisper.

"It's Palace politics. That was all we were going to get from her until she has time to figure out what to do. I've seen my mom do the same thing with different charity organizers who come in and ask her for support. She can't always give them what they want, so she'll ask them for some time to 'put something together' and usually it ends up being a visit from one of my aunts or some other famous person who owes my mom a favor."

"So she's going to scrounge up something to pacify us?" Lenore was not impressed.

"Yes." Addy frowned. "We're going to have to come up with another plan." They started walking back the way they came, headed toward Lenore's room.

"Doesn't it bother you that your Mom's Head of Staff was obviously hiding something from you?" Lenore asked.

Addy wanted to say that it didn't. That she trusted her family and their closest advisers absolutely, and that they trusted her in return. But the truth was, their behavior earlier that afternoon had been _incredibly_ suspicious.

"Let's figure out what's going on, first," Addy decided, "then I'll know how offended to be."

* * *

It was nearly dinner time, and Addy and Lenore had moved into the main library. They'd spread their work out across several tables, grateful for the privacy and relative quiet compared to the bustling university library that they were used to. Together, they hunted down every book that might even so much as mention Swendway and made an impressive tower in the middle of their study space. Unfortunately, even the most recent publication was from just before Addy's father had assumed the throne, but it was enough to give them a good foundation for their background research.

Lenore volunteered to research the formation of Swendway and include any relevant geopolitical details about the various historical regions that comprised the new country. Addy would make a timeline of important Swendish events in the centuries after the country's formation. When the research was done, they'd switch and each take a crack at turning each others' raw notes into a decent attempt at an academic essay.

Addy was midway through a page of bullet points about the early economic decisions of the Swendish monarchy when the door to the library creaked open and Maxon appeared, looking ruffled.

"Sorry to interrupt, girls."

Addy winced, "Dad, what are you doing here?"

She sounded whiny and petulant, even to her own ears, but she'd told Lenore that she wouldn't have to see the royal family, and so far Lenore had had to meet the Queen, a prince, a princess, and now the King, himself. It was _not_ the easygoing experience Addy had been hoping for.

"There's something important that I need to discuss with you."

Lenore was now on her feet, attempting a curtsey, looking mortified to be in the presence of the King. It looked as if she wished the carpet would swallow her whole and shield her until Maxon was gone.

"Daddy, this is Lenore. Lenore, this is my dad."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lenore. Adrienne has told me how sharp you are. I'm glad she's been paired with a study partner as level headed as you are."

"Thank you." Lenore's voice was more of a shy whisper. She was probably regretting this trip to the Palace now more than ever.

"What is it, Dad?" Addy wanted to get straight to the point.

Maxon nodded, understanding her desire, and loosening his tie with a heavy sigh, "It's about your project. I've drafted a request to your professor asking that she assign you another country."

"What?! Dad, no! You can't do that."

"I'm actually here for your input, Lenore." he said, turning to their guest.

Addy scowled, and Lenore had a frozen, incredulous look on her face as she said, "I'm sorry?"

"Would you like to remain paired with Addy and research a different country? Or would you rather continue work on Swendway and have another partner assigned to you?"

Lenore had no idea what to say, she turned to Addy for help, speechless for probably the first time in her whole life.

"Dad," Addy glared, "You're _not_ supposed to interfere in my education, that was part of our deal. Normal students don't have their fathers make demands about assignments!"

"The circumstances are extraordinary, Adrienne, believe me when I say that this is the best choice I have."

"Extraordinary, how?" Addy demanded. " _What_ is everybody hiding?"

Maxon folded his arms, but not in a defiant or defensive way. He was simply settling into his position in the room, "There is highly sensitive, classified information regarding Swendway that I believe Yvellin Dearwood is attempting to extract from you, Adrienne. It's completely out of line and needs to be stopped at once."

"You think she's trying to get classified information from me?"

"It seems as if she knew you'd find irregularities and, of all of her students, you would be the one in a position to find _actual_ privileged information and report it back to her."

"You really think I would do that?" Addy asked, eyebrows raised, voice quavering as she attempted to mask her hurt.

Maxon did not fully reply, instead dropping his eyes and stammering "I…I—"

" _Dad_." Addy stood, and waited until he met her eyes, "Do you really think that I would betray government secrets to get a good grade on a school project?"

"I… your intentions are immaterial—"

"Dad!" Addy interrupted again. " _Answer me_."

Maxon looked into her grey eyes and blinked hard, lowering his head to pinch the bridge of his nose tightly, "I suppose not."

"Of course not. If you're right, and Professor Dearwood is trying to use me to find out what our government is doing, then she's out of luck. We'll point out the murky areas and find a way to move on with our analysis. We won't betray Illéa for a good grade. I wouldn't betray Illéa for _anything_."

Maxon lifted his head, looking between the girls, "Wouldn't you rather receive an assignment that you stand a chance of properly completing?"

Addy looked to Lenore, whose face gave nothing away, then said "We need to finish the task we were given, Dad. You can't… the monarchy can't interfere like this. I need to deal with it like a regular student. Like an adult."

Maxon studied her face carefully, and finally nodded, "You took this better than I thought you would, Bird. I'm sorry that this happened." He moved forward and wrapped her in a close hug. "It's not what I wanted for you… it's not fair… but if this is how it has to be, I'm proud of the way you're handling yourself."

"Thanks, Dad."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then released her as he turned to Lenore, "You're more than welcome to join us in the dining room for dinner, Miss Lee."

"The dining room?" Addy asked, looking up at her dad, surprised. She'd been expecting an evening in the family room.

Maxon nodded, "We'll need the larger accommodations. The rest of your family has found out that you're in town. Your grandmother and all your aunts and uncles will be there. Even Astra is coming for dinner."

Addy grinned eagerly at this news, but then turned to her almost-friend, knowing how overwhelmed Lenore probably already was, "Or you can eat in your room, in your pajamas, while you watch something on that huge television in there, and I can come share dessert with you once the Singer circus leaves the Palace. It's totally up to you."

The relief on Lenore's face was unmistakable.

Addy nodded, hugging her dad one more time, then shooing him out of their study space, "Tear up that reassignment request." she ordered.

"Alright, then. If you're sure." he reluctantly agreed as she closed the door behind him.

* * *

It was a raucous family dinner, chaotic and joyful in equal measures. Uncle Ryland had the night off, and he and Aunt May had their chairs scooted so close together, they were practically in each other's laps. Uncle Gerad and Maisy spent the whole time catching up on her new athletic training regimen and his new medical research. Rosie was spoiled with attention from Uncle James at every turn. But best of all, Addy and Astra _finally_ got the chance to see each other after the painful way they'd left things at Rosie's birthday party. They hadn't shared so much as a phone call in the interim, and the distance had been terrible.

After eating, the two of them slipped out to the gardens and shared a tight hug as soon as they were on their own.

"I missed you!" Astra pouted against Addy's hair.

"I missed you, too." Addy sighed. "I feel like we were fighting."

"We weren't fighting!" The very idea was abhorrent. "We just… we were getting some space."

"Too much space." Addy whined.

"Way, _way_ too much space." Astra agreed.

"Okay, wait, _what_ is happening with you and Kile?" Addy demanded, releasing Astra from the hug and linking arms with her to continue their stroll. It was the first order of business. She needed answers.

Astra, on the other hand, had different plans."Not so fast. You first. Are you still… interested in that boy?"

"Very." Addy said with a defiant tilt of her head, worried she was about to receive a lecture.

"Hey." Astra squeezed her arm reassuringly. "I'm sorry. I'm sure he's wonderful."

"He is."

"If you're happy and he's treating you well, then I completely support you."

Addy could tell her older cousin had been giving this a lot of thought by the practiced way she said the words. It meant the world to her to have Astra's support. "Really?"

"Yes. And I definitely don't want him to come between us anymore."

Addy frowned, "He didn't… boys can't come between us." Could they? Was that what had happened? It was hard to be sure. "We just got busy and it was too hard to resolve anything by telephone. We can have disagreements about boys without them 'coming between us'."

Astra smiled, brimming over with gossip, "Kile and I have been meeting up on Wednesday nights, every week. It's my only night off from dancing because I don't have normal weekends at the ballet, so we've been sneaking away together!"

Addy froze in her tracks, stunned, " _What?!_ How?!"

"Shhh…" Astra looked around, but the guards on the far side of the lawn hadn't moved at the sound of Addy's exclamation.

"We meet halfway between Angeles and the university. It's a manageable drive for both of us, that way."

"What do you _do_?" Addy's eyes were wide.

"Eat dinner…" Astra was blushing.

" _And?"_

"Stuff." Astra's cheeks matched her hair.

Addy didn't even know where to start. The salaciousness of it all! "I… You… He…"

Astra laughed, "It's more romantic than it sounds. It's like a clandestine rendezvous, except we're only meeting that way because it's the most convenient option. Not because we're sneaking around."

"So are you officially boyfriend and girlfriend again?" Addy asked.

Astra shrugged, "We're just… together. And not with any other people."

"Why aren't you boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"If we were officially together again, we'd… probably have to do another official break up someday. You know, if either of us needed time or space. This way, there's less pressure. We just have a standing, weekly date."

"That's actually pretty nice." Addy nodded, liking the thought. She knew exactly what Astra meant about 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' being a lot of pressure to put on an already complicated situation. "But are you spending the whole night there? Doesn't Kile have Thursday morning classes? Where do you two sleep—" Addy trailed off, eyes wide, traumatized by the mental image her curiosity had led her to.

Astra laughed again, clearly relieved to finally being sharing her gossip with her cousin-sister. "Don't scare yourself by imagining it!"

"Too late." Addy pressed her free hand to her eyes, wincing at the thought of _Kile_ without his clothes on. She shuddered, deeply repulsed.

"Alright, we'll change the subject. You don't need to worry about the particulars. Kile and I are safe and happy, that's all you need to know." Astra adjusted her grip on Addy, opting to sling an arm around her shoulders with a reassuring squeeze as they continued their stroll. "Let's talk about your boy. Martin."

Addy exhaled heavily with relief, " _Yes_. Him. You'd really like him, Astra, he's smart, he's kind, he's really cute. He blushes when he compliments me. His hands are _really_ soft when I hold them. I asked him on a real, official date."

"You did?" Astra exclaimed. Addy paused her story for a moment, checking Astra's expression for any negative judgement. There wasn't any, though. This time there was just excitement.

"We went to the fall festival on campus and drank cider and danced, and we got in the photograph booth and I _kissed_ him."

"Addy, you had your first kiss!" Astra exclaimed. This time it was Addy's turn to hush her, though they were now far, far away from prying ears. "Sorry." Astra giggled. "How was it?"

Addy grinned dopily, "Good."

Astra clapped her hands, happily, "That's fantastic. Oh, Addy! Your first kiss was actually _good_."

"How was your first kiss? Was it any good?" Addy asked.

Astra giggled, "My first kiss was a _long_ time coming. It was with Kile, in the tree castle. And yes, it was _really_ good. But Kile and I grew up together, we were used to each other, there was no 'getting to know you' in that kiss. Most first kisses are all about getting a feel for someone new, and that's why they can be awkward sometimes."

"Well, mine wasn't awkward." Addy said, proudly. "I spent half the time panicking that he'd reject me, then the other half amazed that he was kissing me back, but it wasn't clunky and he didn't smell weird, and when it was over, I really wanted to try it again."

"So, you asked him on the date, _and_ you initiated the first kiss?" Astra was impressed.

"I think… I think it had to be that way. I mean, my situation is complicated… because of the whole 'heir' thing. He couldn't make any of the first moves. And also… I'm glad he didn't. I'm glad I got to do everything at my own pace."

"So now what?"

"I think I'm going to let him make a few of the next moves." Addy decided. "I want to see what kind of dates he comes up with. And I want to give him an out… in case repeatedly dating a princess is too much for him, on top of school and everything else."

"That seems really wise and mature." Astra complimented, "Just promise me you won't let him take things too quickly."

Addy giggled, "What, do you think he's going to ask me to marry him?"

"There are so many steps between first kiss and marriage, Bird." Astra poked her ribcage emphatically, and Addy danced away to avoid a tickle. "Just promise me you'll tell him to slow down if you start to feel uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable about what?"

"Anything! If you're seeing him too much, and you're feeling smothered. If he wants too much of a say in your everyday choices. If he wants to spend the night after a late date, and you're not ready for even an _innocent_ sleepover, let alone the possibility of having sex… you're still really young, Addy. If he's worth anything, he'll wait until you're ready to take each individual step."

"Astra, my birthday is next month."

"Yeah, I know, I was there when you were born." she stuck her tongue out.

Addy mimicked her, then said, "I was trying to say that seventeen isn't young. And two years later, I'll host my selection and get _married_. I don't get to take things slow because of my age for much longer. At least this way, I get to choose every single detail, far away from cameras."

"I know, Bird." Astra frowned, pausing to hug her. "It's not fair. By the time you're my age, you'll be married and Queen, and people will be pestering you for babies. It's not fair. Your life is just starting…"

Addy shrugged, examining her feet interestedly, "I've thought about it a lot. University was a pipe dream, it was never supposed to really happen. Every day on that campus is a day I never thought I'd have, every kiss with Martin is a gift I wasn't supposed to be given. I can't complain that it'll all be over in a year and a half. No other heir has ever been given this morsel of a normal life. And anyway, I'll retire when I'm Dad's age, and then I can do whatever I want with the rest of my life."

Astra grinned, "We'll move in together."

"You and Kile will have lots of kids by then." Addy teased. " _Especially_ if these Wednesday dates keep happening."

" _Shut up._ " Astra scolded, but she was laughing at Addy's silliness. They both knew that Astra wouldn't be having any kids until she wanted to take a break from dancing, nor would she need to have kids until she was good and ready. There was no pressure for her to create heirs for anything.

Still, Addy goaded, "I can babysit all dozen of them!"

" _Adrienne_." Astra was scandalized by the thought of a dozen anything.

"Can I borrow one of the leftovers to be my heir?" Addy chirped away, thrilled to be joking with her favorite cousin again.

"You had too much pasta for dinner, young lady. You're on a carbohydrate high."

Addy relented, done teasing Astra about her illicit love affair with one of their best friends. "Hey… next time we're mad at each other, like at Rosie's birthday… let's promise to fix it _before_ I go back to school. I can't handle not calling you when important things happen."

"Pinky promise?" Astra solemnly offered her pinky.

"Pinky promise." Addy hooked her little finger around Astra's and shook.

* * *

Addy stopped by Lenore's room that night, bearing a small plate of brownies. Lenore was lying in bed, reading. She looked _pretty_ comfortable for someone who believed royal luxuries were nothing but misappropriated tax dollars.

"Hey. So, I was thinking tomorrow we could go to my dad's other library, the one with the rare books. We might be able to find something to help us." Addy climbed onto the bed and set the plate between them.

Lenore set her book aside and folded her legs beneath her, "You know we won't."

Addy squirmed, uncomfortable, "We don't need a top secret answer about why Illéa and Swendway pretend to be allies. We just need—"

"Addy, we're not going to find anything close to what we're looking for in a book! If it's ever been written down at all, it's in a top secret file somewhere in the Palace."

She was right. Addy bit her lip, guiltily. "I'm sorry, Lenore. This is all my fault. You were right to want a different project partner, if you'd been paired with someone normal, you'd be on to formulating your diplomatic proposal by now—"

"Adrienne? You need to get over yourself." Lenore's words were harsh, but her tone was kind. "This is _not_ your fault, unless you convinced Dearwood to try to weasel classified information out of us. Did you do that?"

"Of course not."

"And were you the one who secretly cut off diplomatic ties with a close ally?"

"No."

"Then what part of this is your fault?"

Addy shrugged, "I guess you're right…"

"Look, when it comes to the project, we only have one path. We acknowledge the irregularities in our diplomatic relations with Swendway, but we don't try to attribute them to any source. We say that they exist and that we don't know why."

"But how do we even begin a diplomatic proposal?"

"What if Swendway wasn't a close ally? What if it was just another country where we don't have ambassadors or embassies. Then what would we do?"

"I guess… recommend a meeting between low level advisers in a neutral territory… maybe leading up to an eventual summit… with the end goal of establishing a diplomatic charter? Maybe nominating qualified candidates for ambassadorships from Illéa?"

Lenore nodded, "That's _exactly_ what I was thinking. Swendway's in a weird position, diplomatically. What else are we supposed to do?"

Addy frowned, "You don't want me to… I don't know… find out what's happening? Declassify the information? What if that's the only way for us to get a good grade?"

Lenore's expression was completely unamused, "I've _never_ wanted you to use your privilege or connections on this project."

This was completely true, and now that she was thinking about it, Addy didn't know when or why she'd started expecting anything different from Lenore. "Okay, then that's that. We let it go, and we move on with the project."

"I think that's the right decision for us." Lenore nodded. "But Adrienne? …You seem to have a good relationship with both of your parents. Is that right?"

"Yeah."

"And you're still planning on becoming the Queen in a few years, right?"

"Definitely."

"Look… if you ask me, you should know what's going on with Swendway. Not for our project, and not because I want to know what's going on, even though I really do. You should know because you're going to be the Queen very, very soon. You deserve to know what you're walking into and what pitfalls you're about to have to navigate."

Addy didn't know what to say. Of course, Lenore was right. Addy's parents, and her dad in particular, had always gone out of their way to answer her questions and keep her informed. They never wanted her to be afraid of or intimidated by the job.

So, if she agreed with Lenore in principle, why did the reality make her feel queasy?

"…My dad trusts me." Addy said softly. "If I needed to know about this, he would have told me… He'd never keep anything from me if it might help me once I'm Queen…"

Lenore studied Addy's face with unmistakable pity on her own, "I know. But what if he did?"

* * *

Addy tucked her baby brother and sister into bed that night, one of the most soothing ways to end a long day, but even so, she was restless. Her insides felt jumbled, like a tangle of electric eels were wiggling in her chest, and she thought about drinking cold milk until the wiggling stopped. She knew her problem was emotional, not physical, but it was tempting to imagine such a tangible, comforting cure.

She paced the floor of her bedroom, hoping for clarity. All she was left with were more questions.

Her security clearance was as high as her father's, and had been since she'd first started training with him. She'd been briefed on sensitive, classified information before. For example, she'd had the history of the New Asian war explained to her in painful detail. How her grandfather had perpetuated a meaningless conflict overseas to increase patriotic support of his rule at home, all while killing off en masse the young, healthy, lower caste men who were the most likely to rise up and revolt against him.

The public didn't know that the New Asian war had been a genocidal fabrication. Not even all of the advisers knew. Occasionally, an adviser would get up in arms about 'defense spending', railing against King Maxon's reallocation of the national budget away from the military and toward domestic projects like infrastructure and education.

Eventually, the public would learn about the truth behind the New Asian war. It would be declassified, but not during Maxon's reign, and not during Addy's, either. King Clarkson was still believed to be a great King by many of the Illéan people, and Maxon didn't have the heart to destroy his father's reputation while those subjects who had loved him still lived. Not to mention, the families of those who'd died in the New Asian war believed their sons and husbands to have been heroes. What good would it do to destroy the only small comfort that they had? And if the citizens revolted against the monarchy once they discovered the truth, what would become of Illéa? How many would die in a revolution?

For the good of the monarchy and the stability of the country, Maxon allowed the rumblings that he was 'too soft', 'naive', and 'a coward'. He was never tempted to set the record straight. Yes, Illéa had cut military spending down to a fraction of what it once had been, but that didn't mean that Illéa was not well-defended. The spending had never needed to be so high in the first place. All of that money was being used to purposefully kill off a generation of impoverished young men, and now it was being used to help their families thrive. Maxon had no trouble sleeping at night, no matter how much his lower-level military advisers liked to complain about fewer recruits and the shuttering of military bases.

Addy had never breathed a word of this bitter truth to anyone, not even Astra, Meri, or Kile. She'd never done _anything_ to make her father think that she couldn't be trusted. She was his heir, and just a little over three years from now, she'd be his queen.

Sure, there had been times when Maxon had asked Addy to wait. She'd spent years waiting to be given the footage from her father's Selection, after all. This was a different situation, though, this was a matter of foreign policy, not personal history.

Addy didn't honestly believe that she knew every secret her government had to offer. But she had the comfort of not having asked directly about all of those other secrets. This one she'd asked about, and been flatly denied.

What excuse could her dad possibly have for not telling her about the Swendway situation?

Whatever it was, it needed to be darn good, Addy decided, drawing her shoulders up and squaring her jaw. She wasn't going to ask what the secret was, she was just going to ask why her father wouldn't tell it to her. They could decide, together, whether he was doing the right thing.

Addy found her parents in the middle of an intense discussion, sitting across from one another on his bed. America was in her nightgown, but Maxon was still wearing the remnants of his crumpled suit from the day. His jacket, tie, and belt were discarded, the top few buttons of his shirt were undone, and his hair was a complete mess, albeit a dignified one.

When he spied Addy in the doorway, he frowned. He knew why she was there. He waved her inside, and his conversation with America ended at once.

Her parents waited for her to speak, patient but also worried.

At the last moment, Addy was tempted to ask them outright about the situation with Swendway, because honestly, she didn't care about who had ambassadors and who didn't and why. But she cared very, very much if her parents were keeping secrets from her. That's why the question that actually spilled from her lips was so much harder to ask. Because the answer might destroy her.

"Why aren't you briefing me on Swendway?"

Maxon was surprised, though if America was, she didn't show it. He must have been bracing for some kind of demand.

He didn't stammer or make flippant excuses. He furrowed his brow and thought it through. "It's an ongoing situation, Bird. One I had hoped to resolve long ago, but one which, as it stands, will likely be your inheritance from me. I want you focused on school. There will be time, unfortunately, for you to be briefed on Swendway."

Addy paused. It wasn't really an answer. "They're not our allies?" she asked.

"Not really, no." he was regretful.

"I guess revoking their allied status would draw attention to whatever the situation is?"

"Yes."

Addy sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead frustratedly, "How many briefings do you receive on Swendway every week?" She was trying to find out how pressing, how potentially dangerous, this was.

"It all depends." Maxon replied matter-of-factly. It irked Addy that he pointedly did not tell her what it depended on.

"But you juggle it on top of other foreign policy issues? On top of domestic issues?"

"Of course."

Addy didn't want to sound accusatory, so she bit her tongue for a moment, huffing a breath that was supposed to calm her. "Then if you don't think I can handle _one_ briefing on Swendway while juggling my schoolwork, why do you even think I should be Queen?"

Maxon was at a loss. After a moment of looking like a man adrift at sea, America placed a hand on his knee and spoke gently on his behalf, "You've grown up so fast, Adrienne. You've outpaced us at every turn. We can't keep up with you. It isn't that we don't trust you, you know we do. It's that we want to protect you for as long as we possibly can. We know the clock is ticking, and that our time to shield you is running out. We know you're going to be ready when it does. _We're_ the ones who aren't ready. Please forgive us. We know it isn't fair, but it's what we need."

Addy looked between her parents, feeling like this was all somehow her fault, even though she now knew that it wasn't. Her mother had just gone out of her way to admit fault. "Isn't there something I can do to help with Swendway?" she asked. It was hard to imagine a problem that a good charm offensive couldn't fix. Addy had the power to sway public opinion all over the world with her public appearances, that had to be good for something.

America and Maxon shared a bleak look, "No."

" _Nothing_?" The thought chilled her, "We could talk through strategies, Dad, we could play 'devil's advocate'—"

"There's nothing either of us can do right now, Bird." Maxon frowned. "We… well, we're doing a lot of 'keeping an eye on things', and hoping for the best."

Addy didn't know what 'things' needed eyeing, and she didn't know what 'best' they were hoping for because she had no idea what the 'worst' could be. All she had were more questions, but she nodded as if she understood.

"I…" Maxon hesitated, then admitted, "I know how anxious you get, sweetheart. You could worry yourself sick over this kind of situation, and there wouldn't be a single thing to be done about it. I don't want that for you."

"You don't think I'm strong enough—"

"Did I say that?"

"You think the truth will make me _sick_?"

Maxon shook his head, a look of bitter amazement on his face. She could twist his words for meaning as adeptly as America ever had, during his Selection. He turned to America, again at a loss for what to say.

"Addy, when you were little, you used to get stomaches from worrying." America reminded her. "You'd worry yourself into a fit. You… you get it from me. The same thing happens to me, I get dizzy and short of breath… it's… it's actually how your father and I first met."

Maxon nodded, the corners of his lips tugging up in a smile.

America continued, "Swendway is the kind of situation that will either have changed a hundred times over or never changed at all between now and your coronation. We need you to trust us a little bit longer, Bird. Trust us to know when the time is right, and to tell you then. Please."

Addy relented with a groan, running both hands through her hair and, in the process, knocking it out of its twist. She couldn't be bothered with fixing it. "I don't feel better."

Maxon nodded and tentatively opened his arms to her, a vulnerable request.

But she obliged, climbing onto his bed and hugging him tightly. America patted Addy's back sympathetically while Maxon rubbed his cheek on the top of her head, "Poor baby bird." he cooed.

"Come on, Addy, trust us. What's the worst that could happen?" America wasn't using her calm, queen voice anymore. Now her voice was full of mirth. "It's not like I'm going to go on live television and recommend dissolving the castes. I won't negotiate an illegal arms deal or forge an alliance with a band of rebels. And what am I going to do, convince your father to completely reform the bedrock of the Illéan constitution by amending the laws of inheritance? Come now, does that sound like something I'd do?"

"Make her stop telling jokes." Addy groaned into Maxon's shoulder.

Maxon chuckled, "Bird, if anyone alive was capable of that, _they'd_ be the one with the crown and the kingdom."

Addy could just imagine her mother, sitting across from them on the bed, her tongue poking petulantly out of her lips at their taunts.


	18. Chapter 17

This time, Addy remembered to bring cookies for her academic advisor. They plotted Addy's second full semester of school, and chose the best credit for her to get out of the way this winter (An Illéan history class which sounded passably interesting, but more importantly, for which Addy already had a good understanding of the course material thanks to growing up in the Palace. The ultra-quick three week course would be enough time for Addy to master the material and pass the final examination, ideally with flying colors).

Once Addy and Lenore came to terms with the fact that they had to purposefully ignore what their professor had wanted them to do with their project, though it made them cringe, the rest of the project was relatively easy to prepare. The history, the comparisons of Illéan and Swendish culture, the assessment (without explanation) of the idiosyncrasies of Swendway's diplomatic status in Illéa, and their actual diplomatic proposal were all done so well by the end of their first draft, that Addy felt an unexpected swell of pride. If she'd been one of her father's advisers, she'd have had no qualms about presenting this proposal to him. It represented her very best work, and she knew that Lenore had been a big part of drawing it out of her.

That being said, Addy and Lenore still stood to lose major points according to the grading rubric, for not accurately and completely describing the diplomatic histories of Illéa and Swendway. It was a thought that made her faintly nauseous and made it harder for her to fall asleep at night. Past midnight, when the whole house was asleep (except for one guard on duty downstairs), that's when Addy's thoughts would be their darkest. She'd stare up at the ceiling her family had decorated for her, cursing herself for having had the arrogance, the _selfishness_ to think that she should be at university. She should be home right now, training with her father to take over for him. She should be doing her own work, not forcing Jamesy to sacrifice his time and part of his fleeting childhood to do it for her.

What would the public say when they found out her grades for the semester, saw how mediocre she really was? What if she failed the foreign policy seminar? That was a huge component of her responsibilities as Queen, would the people revolt? Overthrow the monarchy when they saw how unworthy to rule them she really was?

To distract herself from her lingering concern over her impending exams, how much she missed her family, how worried she was that she'd made a terrible mistake in leaving them and the Palace for school, and of course Swendway (both for what her parents were hiding from her, and from what grade Professor Dearwood would dole out as punishment for her incomplete report), Addy started spending more time with Martin. He wasn't staying for the winter session, he'd be home with his family, so their budding semi-relationship would be facing its first test of distance. Addy's strategy seemed to be to delay even thinking about Martin's impending absence by trying to spend as many waking moments with him as possible.

They spent a fair amount of time kissing, and probably more time holding hands than was reasonable, truth be told. Small expressions of physical affection still sent Addy's stomach whooshing like that time the royal family had been invited to privately tour the Angeles fair ground and Addy had gotten to ride a rollercoaster (sitting right next to Uncle Aspen). As such, just being close to Martin was more thrilling than most of the events around campus. Still, Addy wanted to get at least one more proper date in before he went away until after New Years.

Martin was the one to come up with the idea. He wanted to sit down with Addy and look through the family cookbook that his Italian grandmother had made him, then choose the most delicious-seeming recipe. He wanted to go to the grocery store together, buy the ingredients together, and then go back to Addy's dormitory (she had a full kitchen, Martin only had a partial) and work together to make a culinary masterpiece.

Addy had one small reservation. A niggling worry in the back of her mind. She shared that kitchen with Luke.

When she voiced her concern to Martin, Martin laughed and shrugged, "We can just invite him. There'll be plenty to go around, and we could always use help chopping and peeling vegetables or something."

In her defense, Addy knew it was a _terrible_ idea to have her boyfriend and the boy she still had unfortunate feelings for, in the same room, cooking dinner together. But she had no idea what to say to change Martin's mind. _We can't cook dinner with Prince Lucas because I have an ill-advised crush on him?_ Of course not.

So, not sure what else to do, Addy told Lucas to invite his girlfriend, Vanessa. At least that way he wouldn't be an awkward third wheel. He might even have a little fun.

And that was how Addy ended up on a double date with Lucas. She had no one to blame but herself.

As much as she was worried about the potential pitfalls of the double date, shopping for the groceries to make dinner was actually really fun. Addy and Martin went together after class on Thursday afternoon and made their own private miniature date of it. Addy, of course, had been shopping for groceries on her own ever since starting university, but it still made her feel gloriously normal. Comparing the prices of the plethora of canned broths, seeking out the freshest fruits and vegetables in the whole display, deciding between various but equally appealing shapes of noodles and rice, it all left Addy with a sense of control that she didn't get from being served every single meal at the Palace by expertly-trained waitstaff.

She made a mental note to recommend to her parents that they try cooking together, as a family, at least once a month. Maybe going through the Palace's pantries wouldn't be exactly the same as wandering through a grocery, but she had the feeling that it would be hilarious to watch her father, Jamesy, and Lief team up in a battle against the girls to see whose vegetables could be chopped the finest. And even if the food they cooked was not up to the usual standard of Palace cuisine, Addy knew that she'd devour and relish anything that her family managed to put on a plate, made with love.

When they returned from the grocery store, arms laden with brown paper bags filled to the brim with ingredients, Lucas and Vanessa were already together in the common area, lips locked on the little university-furnished sofa.

Addy's stomach swooped in an unpleasant way. When she kissed Martin, it swooped upward, and when she watched Lucas retrieve his tongue from Vanessa's tonsils, it swooped decidedly downward, near the vicinity of her ankles.

But Lucas and Vanessa weren't rude or upset about being interrupted at all. In fact, they leapt right up off of the sofa and volunteered to help sort the ingredients according to the order in which they would be cooked.

During their shopping mini-date, Martin had collected everything he would need to prepare four servings of a spicy, cheesy sausage soup that was his grandmother's specialty. It was one of his absolute favorites, and as soon as he'd spied it in the handwritten recipe book, his whole face had lit up. He was thrilled to be able to share it with Addy, to offer her this part of his family's history.

As for Vanessa, Addy hadn't spent much time with the (admittedly gorgeous) girl before now, and had been hoping that her personality would be despicable. But instead, Vanessa was cheerful and outgoing, goofy and self-deprecating, and perfectly willing to be the one to cook the raw sausage meat while Martin sprinkled in the right mix of spices. Addy was squeamish about the visibly bloody mush that would become part of their dinner, and hated herself for not being as fearless (or tall, or tan) as Vanessa was.

While Martin and Vanessa teamed up on the soup, Addy and Lucas teamed up to make large croutons out of a baguette and some spices and olive oil.

"This kind of reminds me of when we were kids." Addy confessed, thinking back to a dozen different times she and Luke had worked together like this to complete a toy block tower or decorate a construction paper craft with sparkles or twigs or anything else they felt appropriate at the time. Now here they stood, older if not wiser, sprinkling and chopping and drizzling as a team.

"You know, Addy," Vanessa said, "I always knew that you and Luke grew up together, but it's only just now hitting me that that means that you could actually tell me some _amazing_ stories about him as a little kid."

Luke winced, "Careful, Ads. Whatever you tell Vanessa, I could easily do double damage with Martin."

Addy laughed as she tied her red hair on top of her head in a messy knot, hoping to avoid shedding into their dinner, "Honestly, Vanessa, the main thing you need to know about Luke is that if he strikes you as wonderful, he's not just pretending so that you'll like him. That's really who he's always been."

Luke blushed at her praise and nudged her with his elbow.

"He _does_ strike me as wonderful, as a matter of fact." Vanessa cocked a perfectly shaded eyebrow at Luke and the two of them shared a private little smirk from across the kitchen. Addy didn't like that they already seemed to be developing the same secret, telepathic language that she associated with her parents, that she knew came with the territory of true love.

"And Martin," Luke tore his eyes away from Vanessa to focus on safely slicing the baguette, preparing to return Addy's compliment, "All you need to know about Adrienne is that she's brilliant and kind, and she used to be deathly afraid of bunny rabbits."

 _"L_ _uke_ _!"_

Luke laughed, dodging to avoid the dish towel Addy had lobbed at his face.

"Is there a story I should know?" Martin asked, grating cheese into the broth he was simmering.

"Nah, you don't need any context, mate." Luke grinned evilly.

Addy scowled, "Well, Luke used to cry like a baby when we picked vegetables from the Palace gardens. He thought it was murder."

Luke petulantly poked his tongue out at Addy, who rolled her eyes and pinched his arm the first chance she got.

Vanessa and Martin didn't seem to find either of these stories particularly embarrassing, though. In fact, they both found them rather endearing.

"You know..." Martin pretended to muse, "There _is_ something sort of shifty about a bunny's eyes."

Addy smiled at him, meeting his gaze with her own for just a moment. She appreciated that he was taking her side, even if she didn't exactly believe him as he justified it.

Once the croutons were baking and the soup was simmering, the boys got to work on baking a cobbler and the girls paired up to toss together a cranberry, pecan, and bleu cheese salad. As they mixed in the ingredients and stole pecans from the salad to snack on, Addy learned that Vanessa was studying fashion advertising, and that someday she wanted to help unknown designers catch the eyes of important buyers. She wanted to launch careers and receive mountains of free gifts in return. She'd go to all of the best parties and her company would fly her around the world to meet with all kinds of fascinating people, and if she was as good at it as she wanted to be, she'd make a heap of money.

"Have you thought about where you want to go once you graduate? Where you want to start out working?" Addy asked, and she didn't have to fake her interest. Vanessa had a magnetic personality, it drew Addy in, and it was nice to remove herself from the worries of preparing to be Queen for an evening and think about someone else's life.

"Well, Angeles is a good place to start, though I know a lot of people who want to head off to Italy or France." Vanessa said, "But if I stay in Angeles, then I speak the language fluently, obviously, and I know the culture inside and out because I was raised in Illéa, so designing ad campaigns that really stand out to consumers would be a _lot_ easier. Plus, I could spend the first few years of my career studying Italian and French, all while making connections and getting valuable experience. I guess Angeles is a no brainer for me."

The way she talked about it, she certainly seemed to have it all figured out. That kind of confidence was its own attraction, Addy thought, wishing that she could exude that kind of certainty and clarity when talking about the kind of Queen she would be in a few years.

"What about you, Lucas?" Martin asked. "Where are you going when we finish school?"

"To be honest, I haven't given it much thought. It was such a miracle that my parents allowed me to come to Illéa to study in the first place, I haven't had the time to sort out what I'll do once I'm done."

Addy laughed, relieved, "I know exactly what you mean."

"You don't know what you'll do after school?" Vanessa was confused. Her brows even knitted together prettily, it truly wasn't fair.

"I just meant... getting to Kings University was the dream. Now that it's come true, it's hard to know exactly what to do with myself. What's my new dream going to be?"

"Right." Lucas nodded. "I've made it across the ocean, I've put continents between my responsibilities and myself, but now what do I want?"

"Well, what do you have to do, as Prince of England?" Martin asked.

Lucas shrugged, "That's the thing. I don't really have to do anything. It's my brother who's got to be King. I'll have a public schedule of some kind, I suppose, I'll tour around and be a diplomat when he needs one. But honestly, I'm going to have more freedom once he's King than I've ever had in my entire life."

"Aren't you looking forward to it?" Addy asked. She could only dream of having so many choices.

"It's overwhelming, actually. I try not to think about it too often, try to stay focused on getting through finals." Lucas confessed.

He'd touched on a subject that everyone in the room could agree on. There was a chorus of groans as they each lamented the sheer brutality of the upcoming exams.

When the cobbler was in the oven, the croutons were distributed between all of their bowls of soup, and they'd dug out enough plates for everyone to have a salad, Lucas revealed a surprise he'd procured for the dinner date. A tall bottle of red wine.

Addy had had wine before, but only at state dinners with her parents, and she didn't really care for the taste. That being said, she was completely enamored with the idea that their little dinner party was grown up enough, was real enough, that they'd all share a bottle of wine to accompany the meal that they'd bought and cooked all by themselves.

Of course, neither Addy nor Luke had brought wine glasses with them to school, so everyone sipped from some beautiful matching teacups that Luke had brought from England, which was a perfect substitute.

"So Vanessa," Martin said, stirring his hearty, homemade soup, "Exactly how long have you and Prin—" he stopped himself as he remembered the rule that Addy and Luke had made for the evening, no royal titles, "—Luke been dating?"

"A couple of months now." Vanessa shared a smile with Luke that gave Addy heartburn. She sipped some water to soothe the sensation. "What about you and Addy? How long have you been together?"

Martin and Addy glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes and Martin said, "…Um… Well…"

Addy sighed heavily and wiped a hand across her brow. She and Martin weren't officially 'together', and it wasn't something they'd ever really talked about. She had a feeling that Martin wouldn't mind being official, and it was her own fault that they couldn't be.

Luke spoke up for her, though, clearing his throat, "It's more complicated with Adrienne. She's the heir to the throne. She's not supposed to make any serious, formal commitments until the beginning of her Selection."

Vanessa winced, looking around the table at everyone there, "Seriously? They're making you do that? It's so…" She fished for the right word, "Barbaric."

Addy sipped her wine. She wasn't sure Vanessa had found the right word at all. Then again, after what had happened to Aunt Marlee and Uncle Carter, what had happened to Addy's own grandparents, the King and Queen, at the end of her father's Selection, maybe 'barbaric' was _exactly_ the right word.

"It's just a gesture toward traditionalists." Addy explained. "I'm going to do a lot of things differently when I'm Queen, and that's going to make a lot of people, advisers and citizens alike, very uncomfortable. The Selection is a way that I can demonstrate my respect for the traditions of our country, even as I make plans to change the monarchy and the country."

"Change the monarchy?" Vanessa's eyes widened in horror.

"Not get rid of it!" Addy giggled.

"Oh."

"I'm going to find some way to put my brothers and sisters to work, officially. My Mom and Dad aren't really the type to sit on their hands, either, so we'll probably work together to formalize a role for them, too. Maybe, with their help, and the help of whoever wins my Selection, my reign as Queen won't be as brutal as my father's reign has been."

"Brutal?" Vanessa didn't understand. She'd known Addy's father as King for her whole life, and he never looked brutalized on television.

Luke took Vanessa's hand and squeezed, "Addy's father _never_ stops working. Even if he's spending an hour or two with his family, he lives just one floor above his office. Work is always on his mind. But King Maxon's parents died before he ascended, and he didn't have brothers or sisters to help. Queen America has taken on as much of the burden as she can, but there's only so much the constitution of Illéa will bear. Sometimes the work needs to come from a blood royal, and not one who's married into the institution.

" _Oh_. So, basically, you're using a Selection to give yourself some latitude for when you start making changes as Queen." Vanessa nodded, "That's pretty smart."

"Addy's nothing if not smart." Luke smiled at Addy and dropped Vanessa's hand in favor of taking a sip from his water glass.

"But your marriage?" Vanessa continued to muse, "That's a pretty huge sacrifice to make for a gesture towards tradition. Wouldn't you rather marry for love and find somewhere else to do the gesture?"

There was a pause around the table. This question had been blunt, but not mean. She was genuinely worried for Addy's happiness. Addy met Luke's eyes, then Martin's, then she said, "The Selection is a powerful symbol. There isn't anything else like it for me to do instead. And anyway, there's no reason I can't find love within the context of my Selection. My father did."

Vanessa shrugged, agreeable enough, but Addy still felt awkward sitting next to Martin. They'd never once discussed this before. She supposed he'd been trying to give her all the space that she needed, but now she just felt selfish. They'd only been holding hands and kissing for a little while, in the scheme of things. Was he even thinking about 'the next step' or what that would even be with a future Queen? Maybe he wasn't interested in formalizing things and becoming a contender for the crown...

"My dad said he's willing to allow anyone I want into my Selection, though," Addy tried to feign a casual tone, staring into her soup.

"Really?" Martin dropped his spoon and it clanged against his bowl.

Addy dared to look over at him, but found that she couldn't quite read his expression. Surprise, for sure, but she couldn't tell if it was in a good or bad way.

"Yeah… I mean," Addy took a gulp of wine, "Not that you have to or anything. Just… it's an option."

"Your dad said that? The _King_?" Martin was reeling.

"Yes."

"I… you… Did you talk to the _King_ about _me_?" It was as if he'd never fully appreciated that Addy as the Princess before.

"Sort of, yeah." Addy still couldn't tell if he was having a good or bad reaction, so she continued cautiously, "Not your name or anything, he's not going to hunt you down and bully you for… going on dates with me. I just wanted to know what all my options were before things got too… serious with you. I needed to know what was possible."

"And we're… Addy, are we possible?" Martin was breathless. He had never even considered this outcome before.

"Well… Martin, we only met a few months ago," Addy hedged, hoping the look on his face wasn't terror, "We've only just started dating. I don't know what's going to happen in the future."

"That's not what I asked." Martin reminded her. Then he repeated, this time with less wonder and more emphasis, "Addy, _are we possible_?"

Addy gulped, thinking through what her dad had said. He'd said he'd put Martin in her Selection if she wanted him there. That was as good a possibility as any, right? "Yeah, Martin. We're possible."

Martin was wonderstruck, and Vanessa gushed, "That would be amazing! Wouldn't it be just like a storybook?" She asked Luke, who did not so much as blink in her direction, "Think about it! I mean, I know it's a long shot, we're all at the very beginning, who knows what the future holds? I just mean… It's _technically_ possible that someday, like ten years from now, Martin and Addy could get married, and Luke and I could get married, and we could sit around just like this, with our children playing in the next room, sharing a meal and a bottle of wine, talking just like this!" she loved it. She truly loved the grand romantic plot she'd just laid out.

Addy could see it, too. Her children with Martin would have his hair and her eyes. Or maybe, if one of his parents had blue eyes, that trait would combine with Addy's mother's blue eyes, and they could end up with a blue eyed baby. Martin would probably make a great dad, silly but smart, he'd have all the answers and would never be afraid of a challenge.

But then Addy thought of Luke's and Vanessa's kids. Blonde, like their parents. Little girls who looked exactly like miniature Vanessas. More Vanessas for Luke to dote on. A whole house full of Vanessas completely monopolizing Luke's time and attention and affection and—

"Let's make it through winter break, first." Luke said, coming back to life with a wink, bringing Addy back to the present.

"Let's make it _to_ winter break first." Addy agreed, and everyone groaned, the subject returned to their impending final examinations.

* * *

After dinner and dessert were both devoured, and Addy and Luke had rinsed and placed the empty wine bottle on one of their countertops with pride (Addy vowing to fill it with flowers the next day), Luke walked Vanessa out to the porch to say their goodnights, and Addy stayed up with Martin, alone at last.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about earlier," Addy said softly, "I don't expect to marry you or anything. I only brought it up with my dad because... well, you know me, I like to be overly prepared. I just wanted to be overly prepared for our relationship, too. Not relationship!" Addy amended, head foggy from the wine, "I meant just our... casual... feelings."

"I get it." Martin was smirking at her. Addy wasn't convinced she found this funny. He said, "I'm actually really flattered that you talked with your dad about me. I... I mentioned you to my parents, too."

"You did?" Addy's breath slipped, then she realized that his parents might leak something to the press. "Did you tell them I'm the princess?"

"No. I didn't give them your name or anything. I just said... There's a girl. She's smart and adorable, and sunsets make her hair glow like... like lava."

"Like lava?" Addy giggled. She'd been completely charmed, captivated up until that simile.

"Lava." Martin nodded, committing to it, running his hands through her hair to the back of her head, then gently guiding her in for a warm kiss. Her lips were still buzzing as he pulled back and said, "Yellows, reds, golds, oranges... lava."

Addy went on tiptoe for another kiss, this one slower and much, much longer. To help her keep her balance, she leant in to Martin and wrapped her arms around his back. Slowly, his hand slipped down the back of her head to the nape of her neck, gently gliding along the bumps of her spine. Up and down they went until, growing bold, he dipped his fingers down below the collar of her shirt, touching the soft skin beneath. This was not really forbidden skin, in the spring and summer it would be exposed all the time. But this was winter, and that bit of skin had been hidden for months, and she felt like they were getting away with something _delicious_.

They stayed like that, pressed together, lips locked, until Luke's footsteps came stomping up the stairs and they leapt away from each other, Addy tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, both flushed and blushing.

"Goodnight... Martin." Addy said as Luke emerged, taking in the sight of the both of them. She winced at the sound of her own voice. She was out of breath, like she'd just gone for a sprint, and she knew her lips were swollen.

"Goodnight Addy." Martin said, grinning at her bashfulness. He thought it was cute. He had no idea. He had no idea that she wasn't being coy because she was reserved; she was being coy because if she hadn't refused Luke's affections, she'd be locking lips with the Prince of England right now, instead Martin.

"The guards are in their rooms, I'll lock the door behind you." Luke offered, gesturing for Martin to lead the way downstairs.

"Good." Martin nodded, offering to shake hands with Luke, "It was great to get to talk with you tonight."

"You, too." Luke said, his posture as straight and tall as Andrew's always was.

"I can tell you're a really good friend to Addy." Martin continued. Then, running his hand through his hair shyly, he added, "Well, I just meant, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you make sure the doors are locked and that she's taken care of."

"Me, too." Addy said, taking a moment to meet Luke's gaze with a smile. "I'm really glad you're here, Luke. I'm glad you made it to Illéa."

Luke nodded stiffly, then followed Martin down the stairs. Addy began piling dishes into the sink for washing, humming to herself at how well the night had gone. She hadn't thought she'd hate Vanessa, but she hadn't expected to be able to hold normal conversations with her, either. To be able to chop vegetables with her and serve salads together. If they spent time like this again, maybe they'd even become friends? No, they'd never be as close as Addy and Meri, or any of the rest of the Palace Kid Gang, for that matter, but still. It was an amazing revelation. If Luke ended up in a serious relationship with Vanessa, even a marriage, it was really good to know that Addy could be friends with Luke's partner. Because that meant she could still be friends with Luke. And being friends with Luke was the whole point of not kissing him. If she couldn't be friends with him after dating him, and she couldn't be friends with him once he started dating someone else, then they were just doomed.

But they weren't doomed. Addy went from humming to singing. She and Luke were going to be just fine.

Luke reappeared at the top of the steps looking grim.

The words to the song died on Addy's well-kissed lips. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"Fine." Luke sighed heavily. "I... Oh, you should hear it from me. I... just now, with Martin, I sort of threatened him."

Addy dropped the dish soap into the warm sink water and didn't bother to retrieve it, "What?! Why?"

Luke looked like he'd rather eat his own sock than elaborate, but he managed, "Listen, Adrienne, you're sixteen years old-"

"Seventeen in a matter of weeks!"

"I know. What I mean is, you seem so much older. You're mature and wise, and it's easy to forget that you're not eighteen or nineteen like the rest of us. You're still sixteen. I know those are really close together, numerically, but as ages go, they're an ocean apart."

"So what if they are?" Addy demanded, crossing her arms. "How does that lead to you threatening Martin. Threatening him with _what?"_

"Just... a general, open-ended sort of threat."

"Why?!" Addy's voice went shrill and, upon hearing herself, she immediately went into Princess mode, mastering her breathing and posture and reigning in her desire to yell at the Prince of England.

"Because, Addy, you're _very_ young. For example, one year ago you were just fifteen years old, and Martin was already seventeen."

"Yes, that's how math works." Addy scowled.

"Fine. You don't agree." Luke tossed his hands up, willing to accept it. "It still warrants mentioning that he shouldn't take advantage of you."

" _Take advantage of me?_ Have you lost your mind? I'm the one who asked Martin on our first date. I'm the one who initiated our first kiss. _Me_. Martin is the last person who would ever take advantage of me."

"I'll grant you, he's done well so far, but moving forward he might want... he might want to try things before you're ready to try them."

Addy narrowed her eyes, "Are you talking about sex?"

"Y... Yes." he wished he wasn't.

"When and where, and how, and with whom I choose to have sex is _none_ of your business." Addy reminded him. "That's something only I get to decide. Not you, not my father, not any other overprotective man in my life who feels entitled to make decisions about my life for me."

Luke wilted, "He... he could really hurt you, Addy."

"He's not interested in hurting me."

"Not on purpose! Not physically! I'm talking about... just the power he has over you. You obviously think the world of him. If you didn't want to... to take things to the next step, whatever that step is, even if it isn't sex… If he thought it was rejection, and he grew distant or withholding of affection because of it, it could… it could _really_ do a number on you. You're young, Addy, you're new at this! I was just reminding him that this is your first experience with the ups and downs of… you know, romance…"

Addy narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't angry anymore but she wanted to be clear, "Don't ever do that again. I don't need you to protect me."

Luke just shook his head, laughing hollowly, "Adrienne, I've been protecting you for all of your life. How am I supposed to just stop?"

"I don't know, Luke. But you have to." Addy said, unyielding.

Luke sighed so heavily, it sounded like a groan, running his hand through his hair so hard, it looked like he might yank some out, "Fine. No more threats. You don't need me to fight your battles for you."

"That's right."

"But if you ever... if you ever decide you _want_ me to fight a battle for you, just promise you'll tell me?"

"Wanna finish my international relations project?" Addy joked, posture relaxing.

"For Dearwood? Nah, Princess, nothing I can do about that."

Addy sighed piteously, returning to the sink full of soapy water. As she continued washing, Luke joined her with a clean dishtowel and commenced drying and putting away every plate, cup, and spoon. They didn't speak, but they didn't have to.

Addy smiled again. They were figuring this out. She and Luke would be just fine.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Martin and Addy went on a few more official dates, but more than that, they just spent time together. They met up in the dining hall between classes and had lunch, or took a break from studying to go for a walk through the park. Addy learned more about Martin's family, about his grandparents who had, for their honeymoon, attended the parade in Angeles celebrating the marriage of _Addy's_ grandparents, King Clarkson and Queen Amberly. It was amazing to think that their ancestors' paths had crossed like that. Addy wondered how far back Martin's family could track sightings of Addy's family. She wondered if it was destiny.

Astra came to visit the campus the weekend after her birthday. She'd been permitted a rare vacation in the middle of the busy Christmas season at the ballet, and she'd used it to be reunited with Kile for more than just a few hours at a time. She'd also used it to catch up with Addy, and to share a Palace kid gang breakfast with Kile, Meri, Addy, and international Palace kid gang associate, Luke. It was the most fun Addy had had in weeks, reunited with her closest friends from childhood. The only one missing was Andrew, the original Palace kid gang member who was closest to running his own country, and therefore unavailable for weekend breakfasts at university bakeries. Of course, Jamesy, Maisy, Leo, Rogan, and Josie were all missing, but they were more like second generation kid gang members, and therefore had a gang of their own, separate but affiliated with their older siblings. Lief and Rosie seemed to be generation three, banded together because the others were all too big to properly be their peers.

After breakfast, the original Palace kid gang used Addy's telephone to place a call to Andrew in England, and they all screamed into the receiver at once, telling him how much they missed him. Luke was fairly confidant that they'd made his big brother's day.

On the night before their project on Swendway was due, Lenore actually agreed to go to Addy's and Luke's house to put the finishing touches on their project. With the notable exception of their weekend in the Palace, It would be the first time they'd be meeting someplace other than a neutral third party location like the library, the dining hall, or the bakery (Addy had gotten Lenore completely addicted to one of the warm, creamy espresso creations that they made there).

Lenore did not usually like meeting in personal places like each others' dormitories, but now, with so much of their grade on the line, she'd been forced into it in the name of self-preservation. The public study spaces were crammed with students preparing for finals, every available chair and table was constantly occupied, and there were students sitting on the floor along the walls, reading their textbooks, ready to jump up and take a seat if one suddenly became vacant. Unfortunately for Lenore, the best places to put together a report like this, the _only_ places where they stood a chance of even getting to sit together at a table, were Lenore's dormitory or Addy's. And frankly, Addy's dormitory was much bigger than Lenore's.

Luke made brownies from a box of mix he'd gotten at the grocery store, studied for his own exams in his room while they were baking, and when the timer went off, cut them into perfect little squares and filled an entire plate with them. Then he sat the plate on the table between Lenore and Addy, "Are you alright, Bird?"

"Are these for us?" Addy asked, eager at the unexpected treat.

"These are your first ever final examinations, I know the pressure is immense. Especially because of your expedited graduation plan, you can't afford to make any big mistakes. Do you need help? You have to tell me if you do, I'm a couple of years ahead of you, I can help." His face was grave with worry, and it made Addy laugh.

"Luke, I'm okay. I've got everything under control." Addy said, though she sounded more certain than she really was. Honestly, the mountain of facts that she needed to completely memorize over the next week was making her heart race every time she thought about it. If Luke had said he had a time machine and could get her an extra two weeks for studying, she'd have taken it. But short of that, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't learn for her. She was on her own.

Luke nodded, still studying her face carefully, and then he said to Lenore, "I remember when she was learning to read, her brows would get all wrinkled with concentration. I thought that she looked like my father, pouring over affairs of the military, but she was just a little girl trying to sound out animal names."

"Luke?" Addy's tone was warning, not to get into any embarrassing childhood stories with Addy's seminar partner, not when they were so, _so_ close to becoming actual friends.

Luke rolled his eyes at her chastising, "No lives are on the line, Adrienne, no one dies if you make a mistake. That won't always be true of your decisions. Don't wear these exams as heavily as you'd wear a war. At the end of the day, this is only school. You're just a student at school, proving that you've learnt enough to study something else next semester." He placed a finger between Addy's eyebrows, and Addy noticed that her forehead had, indeed, been scrunched in concentration for hours now. She relaxed her face and Luke nodded, satisfied.

He wished them luck, went back to the oven and filled a plate with brownies for himself, and then returned to his own studies.

Lenore lifted an eyebrow, "So I'll add 'be served dessert by a Prince of England' to the list of things I never expected to happen to me."

"Come back next semester and I'll have him do a three-course meal." Addy joked, returning her attention to their work.

"You ever learn to read those animal names?" Lenore teased, flipping through a few of her notes with one hand, picking out a square of brownie with her other.

"'Elephant' is really complicated, okay?" Addy pretended, and was rewarded with a scoff.

The ability to make her scoff was another sign that Addy was getting closer and closer to winning an actual friendship with the force of nature that was Lenore Lee. She could imagine that, if she played her cards right, decades from now she'd be able to invite Lenore to the Palace and ask her opinion about some matter of state or other, and receive a completely unvarnished, authentic truth. That would be invaluable, if Addy could just swing this right.

"So, you grew up with him?" Lenore said, nodding to Luke's closed door.

"Yeah, he's like another brother."

Lenore's dark brown eyes pierced at Addy's grey ones, but Addy didn't yield, so Lenore sniffed and changed the subject, "Speaking of the royal brood: your sister, the little one. Princess Rosalynn."

"Rosie?"

"She mailed me a card."

"She did?" Addy laughed, looking up, amazed. "How did she know your address?"

"I'd imagine your government has ways of finding out." Lenore shook her head, clearly alarmed by the thought. She flipped through one of her notebooks and pulled out a folded piece of cream colored construction paper. On the outside, in big, sloppy, uneven letters, Lenore's first name was scrawled in crayon. Inside, there was a neatly drawn picture of two girls. One was tall, with brown skin and many long braids adorned with what looked like wedding rings, rather than the beads that hung on the real life version of Lenore's hair. Addy laughed. The other girl in the drawing was short and blonde, her hair divided into two french braids down the side of her head. In the picture, they were holding hands, and the clouds in the sky were in the shape of hearts.

Addy affectionately admired her sister's handiwork. The outline had clearly been drawn by an adult, it looked like Aunt Kenna's soft, curved pencil strokes, but the messy coloring had probably taken little Rosie lots of time and effort. Addy's heart ached, wishing she could hug Rosie right then and there. She'd be home for her own birthday ball soon enough, she reminded herself.

She lifted her eyes to Lenore's, noticing that Lenore's brow was furrowed as she, too, looked down at the picture she'd received from Illéa's youngest princess. Addy bit her lip, worried, "Is it annoying?" she asked, knowing that not everyone enjoyed the hero worship of small people, particularly if the small people weren't relatives.

Lenore shook her head 'no', still fishing for the right words. "Adrienne…" she seemed to think better of what she was going to say and substituted, "It's very nice."

"What?" Addy asked, seeing that she'd censored herself. "I can find a way to get her to stop without hurting her feelings, I promise—"

"It's not annoying," Lenore reiterated impatiently, "It's _very_ nice. You have no idea…"

"I have no idea?" Addy asked, eyebrows raised.

For a moment, it looked like she might squirm in her seat. But then, instead, she leant forward, placed her palms flat on the table, and squared her shoulders. "There are still people alive today who think that coarse hair like mine is ugly. They don't think girls with my skin color and hair are pretty. They're just… predisposed… no, _socially taught_ … to find thinner, finer hair more beautiful and lighter skin more attractive. It's what they see in the movies, it's what they see on television, it's what they see when they look at your mother and you…" she paused, checking Addy's face for a reaction.

Addy's expression was schooled, a blank canvas. She didn't want to influence any of what Lenore was saying with her own feelings. This was a rare moment of complete candor, even vulnerability, from Lenore, and Addy didn't want her to stop.

"It's really, really nice… it's good, even, that your little sister thinks my hair is beautiful. I hope you and your family find a way to protect that in her. It would be great if you could try to spread it around… encourage more people to think like her…"

Addy leant back in her chair and thought through her next words very carefully before she spoke them. "It's not… an accident that the royal family doesn't have hair like yours or skin like yours."

"Your grandmother was brown." Lenore reminded her, but not for Addy's benefit. "Don't wash that away. That mattered to a lot of people."

"You're right." Addy nodded. Then she sighed, "But she didn't have coarse hair or very dark skin. Her skin was fair and her hair was straight and silky. If she'd had coarse hair, I doubt she'd have become the Queen of Illéa. I don't know much about my grandfather, but I know enough to make that bet."

"You're probably right." Lenore agreed.

Addy continued, trying to tamp down on her own discomfort as much as possible. The awkwardness came from not knowing exactly how to talk about this. It wasn't something anyone in her family ever spoke about, it was just something she'd more or less gleaned from her studies. Finding the words to say it out loud felt risky, like she might say the wrong thing and do damage to Lenore. As if the words were what was damaging, and not the real legacy that they were discussing.

"Gregory Illéa was…" she wasn't sure exactly how to say it, "… We know he was self-made and had a strong work ethic, but it's not clear that he had any special abilities or worked _so_ much harder than other people in his time period. He was successful, but it's hard for historians to account for _how_ successful he was, and why there aren't records of women billionaires or darker skinned billionaires made in the United States, along with him. Did he have their names erased from the history books or did they just not exist? Who were his fellow elites? We only have a few photographs and… no one around him looked like you." Addy confessed.

Lenore was surprised, "You have _pictures_ of Gregory Illéa?"

"We have some historical documents." Addy nodded. "The Palace brings historians in to study them from time to time. It's hard to paint a complete picture of our first king, to really know who he was. But the thing is…the countries on top of which Illéa was built had long, painful histories of intolerance and slavery. Gregory Illéa was somehow able to amass an _enormous_ fortune within the framework of those legacies, an unfathomable fortune by today's standards, and he struck the history books bare of any references to the business he had to do to collect that fortune, the money he spent building his own utopia and naming it after himself. Whatever he did to get that money, it probably wasn't… very good." Addy sighed. "It probably involved not paying people enough, or possibly not paying them at all."

"And it's safe to say, if they weren't earning good money, they probably couldn't buy a good caste when Illéa was formed?"

"Fives and lower, probably." Addy nodded. "Maybe Fours, too."

" _What a coincidence_ … Most of the people in the southern provinces were in those castes, and so were my grandparents." Lenore tilted an eyebrow, her tone sarcastic.

"It's not a coincidence." Addy reiterated, her tone completely sincere. She didn't want to play along with the sarcasm. "In the speech he gave when he formally established Illéa, King Gregory bragged that he was removing all trace of racial prejudice because no one was being assigned castes based purely on skin color, and no one could be discriminated against based on a last name that sounded like a certain ethnicity, because the last names were changing. But he didn't get rid of prejudice or race, he got rid of _culture_. He ended access to our histories and stories and traditions."

" _Your_ histories and stories and traditions?" Lenore lifted her eyebrows, goading her.

"Well, my mom's family. My grandmother's family. They're part of me, too, even though my name is Schreave." Addy shrugged. "I guess my point is, you're right, Lenore. We don't talk about it enough. The foundation of our country was built using the rubble of what came before, and what came before was prejudice. That shouldn't get swept under the rug anymore."

Lenore considered her, then looked back down to the drawing, "That's a nice thing to hear from the future Queen."

"Is there something I should start preparing for when I ascend?" Addy asked. "A policy or a law? What should I do to help?"

Lenore got a wicked glint in her eye as she smirked, "You should marry my brother."

Addy groaned and laughed and pressed her face into her hands, "Fine. I'll add him to the list of people I need to marry. I'll have a harem of husbands."

"Seriously Addy, when you start making royal appointments for positions of power in your government, and you have equally qualified candidates applying, try to show the country that a woman with hair as coarse as mine can lead. Hire her, and when the advisers assemble on the _Report_ to give updates on the state of the government, let her speak. Just seeing her there, having her represented, would be a big help."

Addy swooped in for another brownie, "Okay, you're hired."

Lenore winced with disgust, "Excuse me?"

"When can you start? Is my coronation soon enough?" she joked.

"I'm not working in the _Palace_!" Lenore spat the word like it was moldy in her mouth.

"You could do a lot of good there." Addy reminded her in all seriousness.

"You'd have to handcuff me, drag me in, and lock me in a dungeon to keep me from escaping."

"You joke, but I've seen the dungeons. They're well-lit and you could do a lot of paperwork, uninterrupted. When the kids are being too rowdy and noisy, Mom jokes that she's going on vacation down there."

"Can we finish this project so I never have to see you again?" Lenore complained.

Addy laughed, "You're seeing me again. If Professor Dearwood forgives us for not leaking government secrets to her, we might be in advanced seminar together!"

Lenore scowled, but her expression slowly softened, "Adrienne, if we're somehow accepted into advanced seminar next semester… I'd like to study with you again."

Addy did her best not to look as pleased as she felt, "Really?"

Lenore narrowed her eyes, sensing how happy this made Addy and not wanting her to get ahead of herself, "You're the only one in that stupid class who doesn't slow me down _too_ much. And your handwriting is better than mine, so your notes are easier to read."

"Right, right," Addy nodded, laughing, "It's not because you actually like me or anything."

Lenore returned her attention to her revisions and cursed her, grumbling, "Spoiled brat."

And just like that, a new term of endearment was born.


	19. Chapter 18

The week of Addy's birthday was also the last week of her final examinations. The Palace celebrations would take place later, so at least she wouldn't have to travel to the Palace, put on a gown, dance around in front of a bunch of cameras, and then get back in the car, travel back to school, and take a test worth 50% of her grade early the next morning.

She had a good rhythm for studying now, especially because her final project for Professor Dearwood's seminar was turned in. She even got to spend some time studying with Meri for their literature exams. They didn't have the exact same class, but some of the same basic concepts would be tested on both of their finals. Addy still wasn't ready to admit that she enjoyed any aspect of her royal privilege here at school, but she absolutely relished having a nice, quiet, private space in her house to do most of her studying. She only had to endure the cramped desperation of public study spaces like the library or the bakery when she wanted to.

Despite the all-consuming nature of studying for final exams, Addy made sure to take regular breaks, standing up and doing something physical like tidying up the kitchen or making her bed. It got her blood flowing and re-oxygenated her body. She also took to doing morning jogs with her guards to keep herself feeling sharp and strong, even as she stress-ate snacks and spent most of her day in a chair, at a desk, reading.

Addy and Luke had a few visitors throughout the class-free study days leading up to the official start of exams. Vanessa came by once, though thankfully _not_ to clash tongues with Luke. She was just looking for a quiet couch to sit on and review her notes from the semester. Luke sat near her, but they hardly spoke, both intensely focused on the task at hand. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, that silence. It was familiar and easy, and Addy squirmed when she realized that she'd seen her mother and father work together, silently, in exactly that way, for all of her life. Her mother and father were _soulmates_. …But so what if Vanessa was Luke's soulmate? Addy broke her pencil lead, scribbling summaries of passages, and tossed it aside in favor of a navy blue pen. But she wasn't aware of how much force she'd used to toss the broken pencil until it went flying off the kitchen table where she was working, clattering to the floor and rolling to a stop in front of Addy's bedroom door. Luke and Vanessa were so lost in their studies and their perfect little silence that neither of them even noticed.

On another day, Kile came over with lots and lots of pages of math to complete. One of his tests was a take-home exam, meaning the teacher never expected the class to memorize all of the complex formulas or plug numbers into those equations for an hour and a half. Instead, just like in real life, they'd be able to consult all the reference books and formula charts they needed. What they were being tested on was the ability to complete a difficult task in a timely manner, and also recognizing which formula was appropriate in the context of the problem. Kile sat there, papers spread wide over Addy and Luke's kitchen table, solving math from seven o'clock in the morning until midnight. Addy dragged him away from the table at that point and tucked him into the extra bed in her room (the one that would have been used for a roommate in normal circumstances, but had become a kind of extra-big sofa, replete with little pillows and a throw blanket, throughout her semester). Kile grumbled complaints about the disruption to his studies for a few minutes, and then abruptly stopped. He'd fallen asleep that quickly.

The next morning, Addy awoke to find him back at work at the table, but with thank you muffins and coffee from the bakery waiting for her on the countertop. Kile's hair was wet and he smelled like flowers. Addy giggled, realizing he'd used her floral-scented shampoo.

Despite the revolving door of friends seeking refuge at Addy's house, far and away, there was one visitor whose appearance was the most unexpected, and the most jarring. On Sunday, as Addy was settling in for another day of reviewing notes and possibly copying them onto fresh paper to give her brain another chance to remember them, Aaliyah appeared at the top of the stairs leading into Addy and Luke's suite.

"You have a visitor."

Addy was confused. Her friends were always sent straight up, they were never announced like this. "Who is it?"

Aaliyah, who'd attended a solid third of Addy's lessons with her throughout the semester (alternating with Addy's other guards), made a sympathetic face, "It's Professor Dearwood."

Addy stared at her. "What are you talking about?" Was this a dumb joke? Were the guards trying to get her to lighten up by tricking her into thinking world-renowned international relations scholar Yvellin Dearwood was at her front door right now?

"She'd like to speak with you. She… um…" Aaliyah winced, "She apologizes for not scheduling an appointment, but you don't have a Head of Staff right now…"

It clicked in Addy's mind that Aaliyah was somehow completely serious, and that this waking nightmare was actually happening. She stood, running her hands down her jeans and smoothing her long braid of hair. "Send her up."

She was not in princess attire, to be sure, but Addy just reminded herself of what her mother always said. Addy _was_ the Princess, no matter what clothes she was wearing or how her hair looked, or how much makeup she had on. Her appearance wasn't what commanded respect, it was her title and how she chose to use the power that came with it.

Before she could finish the internal pep talk, Professor Dearwood appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a sharp white dress that cut off at the knees and impressively high heels. She carried a matching bag, with the accents and details of a purse but large enough to carry documents or reference materials or whatever she needed for work. Overall, this aesthetic was femininity honed into a weapon. Addy knew Dearwood had been an established scholar since before her father became King. She must have been, to be brought into the Palace as a consulting adviser so early in his reign that Dearwood met Addy when Addy was just a baby.

But now, processing the professor outside of the context of the classroom, where she reigned as her own kind of Queen, it occurred to Addy that Dearwood must have established herself as a force to be reckoned with before the amendment to the laws of inheritance was enacted. This meant that she didn't have the same rights as her male peers, as she emerged from her own time as a student at university and began working in foreign relations. She wouldn't have been allowed to own property, and frankly it was confounding that she was allowed to hold such an important position in King Clarkson's government at all, even if the two of them never met. Addy was pretty sure her grandfather had had, well, regressive views about many things, including the role of women in society. And he likely filled his government with men who thought exactly as he did.

But if Dearwood had walked into her interview for a position as international liaison wearing heels as spiky as two swords, wielding a briefcase cleverly disguised as a mere purse, disarmingly beautiful but with a steely glare that would obviously grant no quarter, Addy couldn't imagine refusing her, no matter how regressive the views of the day might have been.

Addy now had so many questions about those first few years of Dearwood's career, as it dawned on her that Dearwood hadn't been born a success, but built herself from the ground up. Or, as a woman in Clarkson's regime, from below ground up. But she didn't have the chance to figure out where to begin, because Dearwood gestured with her free hand at Addy's overall appearance and said with a slight smile, "You're the image of your mother, do you know that?"

Addy was surprised, they'd never discussed her family before. "I've been told." Addy gestured to the chair across from her at the dining table, clearing away her notes and books to make room.

Dearwood nodded, heels clicking across the floor as she obliged. She did not sit, but stood in front of the chair as royal protocol dictated. Addy was profoundly uncomfortable at that, wishing they were in the classroom surrounded by other students, like normal.

"The first time I ever saw your mother, she was in jeans just like those. She dressed formally for dinner that night, of course, but otherwise she was still on maternity leave. Earlier in the day, your father was holding a meeting in his office with myself and several other key advisers, working to resolve a conflict between two other nations, thousands of miles away. Your mother needed help with something, I can't remember what it was… but she walked in, begged our pardon as we leapt to our feet, and placed you in your father's arms without a word of explanation to him. Your father was unperturbed, which was… different. Not unexpected, I suppose, but still a change. He bounced you in his arms and carried on the meeting as if nothing was out of the ordinary at all until your mother returned, an hour later, and reclaimed you."

Addy wasn't sure what to say. "Did I behave myself?"

Professor Dearwood nodded, "You were completely agreeable, so long as the King did not attempt to set you down for any reason. You had clear requirements about remaining in his arms at all times."

"They've complained about that before." Addy nodded. Sometimes her parents still reminisced about how much of an arm-baby she'd been, how much she'd screamed and cried unless she was being held for those first few months of her life. How hard it was for new parents to sleep under such conditions. Usually, her mom and dad brought it up when they were trying to guilt her into babysitting Lief and Rosie so that they could have a date night (or, more realistically, a date hour, if that's all the time they had available).

It occurred to Addy that she should be mimicking what her father would do during a meeting like this. "Would you like something to drink? Tea? Water?" It was always one of his first moves.

"No, thank you. I won't be long." Dearwood set her bag down next to the chair.

Addy nodded, supposing this was the right time to take her seat. As soon as she did, Dearwood smoothly sank into the university-issued chair, making that cheap student furniture look like a throne. Addy got the feeling that, however she looked sitting in her own chair, it was nothing so elegant. She'd need a few decades to perfect that trick.

"I'd like to apologize for arriving unannounced. I know this is a busy time for you, and I appreciate your taking a moment to speak with me."

"Of course, Professor. Is... Is this about the project?" Addy's mouth went dry, worried about an impending confrontation about the lack of classified details in her report. "I could call Lenore Lee, she could be here within a few minutes to join the conversation.

"That won't be necessary. I wanted a brief meeting with _you_ , and I take it you'll share any relevant information with Ms. Lee at an appropriate time."

Meeting. Addy's brain chewed on the word. Dearwood had come to Addy, not summoned Addy to her. Dearwood had abided royal protocol in this far from palatial dorm kitchen. And now, she was thanking Addy for the _meeting_.

"Was... was there a problem with our project?" the dread was gone from the pit of her stomach, but tentatively. Cautiously. She had a hunch that this meeting was something else…

"No, Princess. No problem. In fact, your work was entirely adequate… given the circumstances."

Addy frowned, her suspicions all but confirmed. She wasn't 'Addy the student' right now, and Dearwood wasn't being a teacher. Right now, Adrienne was the Princess of Illéa, heir to the crown, and Dearwood was functioning as some kind of adviser. Summoning up the posture and expression she'd seen her mother wear in meetings with her father' advisers, Addy said, "So then, I take it that it's those _circumstances_ you want to discuss?"

The Professor's eyes narrowed for just a moment, and then an amused smile faintly tilted at her lips. "That's right."

What made Dearwood think she could march into Addy's dorm and demand government secrets? "We won't have much to discuss, in that case. I don't know anything about Swendway, and even if I did, it's none of your business until my father, the King, determines that it is and upgrades your security clearance."

Dearwood considered her words, completely ignoring her confrontational tone. "It isn't my clearance that concerns me. It's yours. Your father has claimed he's allowed you full access as part of your training."

"He has."

"Clearly he has not. I came here today to determine if you knew something, but refused to say— a perfectly legal and furthermore entirely appropriate course of action— or if, as I'd suspected, you truly did not know."

Addy stopped, looking her professor over closely, "Do… do _you_ know?"

Professor Dearwood rested an elegant palm on the table and eyed her fingernails as she considered her words. "I have… suspicions. Theories. Probably very good ones, if I may say so myself. But my concern is not for myself, it is for you. My future queen."

Addy blinked, unnerved. She knew the ins and outs of the job of Queen, knew what she'd be doing once coronated, but the more symbolic, almost mythical, nature of what would be her position was still overwhelming. She was, personally, the living embodiment of the future of Illéa. Every citizen in the country had a slightly different idea in their minds about what the future would be, but whatever it was, Addy had to represent it. She had to be all of those things to all of those people, even Professor Dearwood.

"Princess, it's true that I assigned you Swendway because I was hoping to point out the inconsistencies in our relations, but I want you to know that I wouldn't have done it if you'd arrived in my class as some sort of airhead. You've inspired enough of my confidence that I partnered you with the sharpest mind in the classroom, Ms. Lee, and set you to the task. And now, you've confirmed for me that you've at least begun to ask the right questions, when it comes to this Swendway matter. So, to my mind, you accomplished the task exactly as I hoped you would, and your grade will reflect that." Dearwood paused, tapping the pad of her pointer finger silently on the table. "Your father is a great king, possibly the best we've ever had. I'm not sure what the Swendway situation is, exactly, but I'm sure he was hoping to resolve things before you came of age."

Addy wasn't sure how much to give away. "He might, still. He has several years until my coronation."

Deadwood nodded thoughtfully, "That's true..." she mused for a moment. "Princess, the very first time that I advised your father, I told him that governments and, in particular international politics, progress along the longest, farthest event horizon made by human hands. In other words, things move _slowly_. Domestic politics can be improved in a matter of years, as your mother has certainly proven with her initiatives, but international politics can take generations to shift in a meaningful direction. I told him that there would be some problems that he simply wouldn't have the time to solve for you. And now, I'm telling you the same thing. No matter how great a queen you become, Adrienne, you won't be able to solve all of the world's problems before handing things over to your heir. Instead, you'd do well to train them, to prepare them for the slow, uphill slog that awaits them."

Addy didn't understand. Everyone knew that her dad was training her. "My father has prepared me every day of my life."

"Not for this." she said bluntly. "This is clearly one of those sticky webs of international relations, and he's told you nothing about it. He still thinks he can beat the clock. Unless he's not only a great king, but also a magical time-traveling one, he can't. And he hasn't prepared you for what's to come."

Addy bit at the inside of her cheek, tamping down irritation, even anger at this assault on her father's ability, "He'll tell me when the time is right."

"When the time is right _for him_. Not for you," Dearwood sighed, physically waving away Addy's defense of the King.

Addy narrowed her eyes at this gesture, "Well, that's a gift I'm giving him."

For the first time, Dearwood's face exhibited true surprise. "Is it?"

"Unlike when _he_ was crowned, my father's not dying when _I_ ascend to the throne, he's just going on a vacation. He'll be available to advise me on anything. On everything, if that's what I want. So maybe I'll look inept when it comes to whatever is happening in Swendway for a few months. It won't be the dangerous sort of ineptitude, because my parents will be there to offer their advice. And speaking of advice, I'm not replacing any of my dad's advisors for the first year. So they'll be with me, too."

It was a bold claim, and one Addy was making up on the spot, but now that she said it out loud, she was sure it was the right thing to do. She could spend her first year as Queen assembling a dream team of advisers to replace or supplement her father's team, and in the mean time she'd benefit from all of the institutional memory of the old regime, who'd run the country so wonderfully for all of her life.

Dearwood was obviously impressed, though her tells were subtle. A slight nod of the head, a slight lift of her eyebrows, a slight smile on her lips. "You're not as delicate as you look, Princess. When I saw you on the first day of class, I thought you were a wide-eyed doe, but you're not. You've got a head on your shoulders and fire in your veins." Professor Dearwood leant back in her chair and considered Addy closely, "Very well. Just keep what I said in mind, your Highness. When it's time to begin training your own heir, think realistically about what they'll be facing, and prepare them as thoroughly as possible. You owe that to the Kingdom."

"I'll keep that in mind." Addy replied stoically. She'd prepare her heir, her future _baby_ , however she saw fit, no matter what childrearing advice her professor somehow decided it was appropriate to give her. She did, however, tuck away the question of what she'd owe the Kingdom when it came to raising her children, what her parents had owed the Kingdom when raising her, where that intersection between duty and family most directly and uncomfortably crossed…

Dearwood lifted her bag into her lap and slid forward in her seat. With this gesture she managed to communicate that she was ready to leave the room, without breaking protocol and standing before being dismissed.

Addy was impressed. She stood so that Dearwood would be free to do the same.

"I'll be seeing you and Ms. Lee in next semester's advanced seminar."

"You will?" Addy had not expected this turn of the conversation, and she wasn't sure she'd heard right. Had she and Lenore just been accepted into the elite group of eight? Students came from all over Illéa to try their luck at getting into Dearwood's advanced seminar, but it was a notoriously small group comprised of only the best of the best. Usually, Dearwood didn't have a seminar at all for first and second years, so it was especially rare that she'd be taking Addy and Lenore on, mixing them in with her older third and fourth year students.

"Just because the class is small, don't think there won't be cuts." Dearwood threatened idly, eyes sparkling, "You and Ms. Lee will need to work harder than ever to keep up, but I suspect the two of you will adjust to the workload very nicely."

"… Thank you." It was some kind of compliment, Addy was sure, albeit unconventional. All that really mattered was that Dearwood thought they were smart enough to survive another semester with her.

"Nonsense, you've both earned this. It's not some child's birthday party, you're not lucky just to be invited." If Yvallin Dearwood taught the young women in her classes nothing else, she wanted them to leave school knowing what it was to claim ownership of what they'd properly earned so that they could never feel like, or tolerate being treated like, imposters as they climbed their respective career ladders.

Addy nodded, not sure what to say to the professor's refusal of her gratitude. She settled for, "Okay, then."

Professor Dearwood tapped the pads of her finger on her desk in quick succession, thinking. "One final favor, Princess."

"Yes?"

She chose her words carefully, "Someday, when you finally learn what's happened with Swendway, I hope that you'll consider bringing me in as a special councillor to help sort through it all."

Addy very nearly laughed, "Are you asking me for a job?"

Dearwood caught the amused glint in Addy's eye and mirrored with one of her own, "University salaries aren't what they're cracked up to be. I could use a second income."

Addy grinned, still stifling her laughter, "In that case, I'll have my assistant keep an eye out for your resumé."

Dearwood laughed at her audacity, just one impressed huff of laughter, and then her face returned to its usual mask of inscrutable calculation. Dearwood's eyes remained alight, though, reflecting a crackling eagerness at the prospect of what twenty years of Adrienne's reign might do for their country.

When the professor left Addy's dormitory that afternoon, Addy was thinking about her future, too. She still wasn't sure how, exactly, she'd ever surpass her father's amazing accomplishments, but she was finally starting to hope that, with enough hard work and with the right people around her to help, she might come very close.

* * *

It took the entire walk back to her dormitory from her very last final exam for the relief to fully sink in. Sure, she'd begin winter session just a couple of days after Christmas, but between then and now, Addy had a full week to spend at home with her family, and a birthday ball to look forward to.

Her actual birthday had been the day before. It still hadn't fully sunk in that she was _seventeen_ now. She didn't feel any different than she had at sixteen, but the number sounded so much more grown up to her ears. Seventeen was basically womanhood, she figured. She was basically a woman.

Martin had wanted to celebrate the previous evening. It was a national holiday, after all, but Addy had been hyper-focused on studying, so he'd promised to come by her dormitory and bring her birthday surprise once her last exam was over. It would be their last date until the end of January, when most of the students would return for the spring semester. Addy wondered what Martin had in mind. A romantic picnic, a walk around campus, another sporting event of some kind? They hadn't been to one since the group outing at the beginning of the semester, and though at the time Addy had felt like the crowd might swallow her whole, when she looked back on it now, all she could really remember was how thrilling it had all been, and how limited her chances to get lost in a sea of people truly were in this lifetime.

The more she thought about it, the more she hoped that they were headed to a sports match for her birthday. She couldn't imagine anything better.

She packed her bag for her trip home, filling it with books she wouldn't need for the next semester, but couldn't bare to part with permanently. She also filled it with little treats and gifts for each of her siblings, as well as a matching set of 'Kings University Dad' and 'Kings University Mom' coffee mugs to give to her parents for Christmas. She didn't really think they'd use them for anything, but it was a fun gift. The kind of thing normal parents of university students might receive for Christmas.

In his room, Luke was packing up for a much longer trip home after a brief stop at Illéa Palace to celebrate Addy's birthday. Addy could hear music coming from his room, and she wondered if he was planning any last goodbyes with Vanessa, or if they'd already taken care of that. She didn't like imagining what their version of a last goodbye for the semester might look like, and distracted herself by opening her window. This let in some fresh, cold air, as well as the noise of dozens of parties celebrating the end of term all up and down Addy's street, not to mention distant sounds of reverie from the surrounding streets. She laughed, wondering if Lenore was having to suffer through a party being hosted by one of her many roommates. She amused herself thoroughly, imagining the exact look of anger and resentment that her new friend would wear in such a circumstance. The scathing glares she'd scorch her roommates' friends with. The petty revenge she might be plotting in her mind.

Addy had told her guards to let Martin in when he arrived, so when he appeared at the top of the stairs, the only surprise was the mystery inside of the wrapped box that he carried.

Addy kissed him first, and only when she was good and done did she say, "You didn't have to buy me anything."

He just smiled mysteriously, "It's necessary for your post-birthday celebration date."

"Thank you, then." Addy took the box and set it on the table, curious about what might be underneath the bright red wrapping.

"So did you at least have a little fun yesterday?" Martin asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Addy shrugged, "I had extra dessert."

"That's something." Martin smiled.

"My parents called me in the evening, around the time I was actually born. They usually hunt me down to spend that part of the day with me."

"What did they say on the telephone?"

"They reminded me how I'd nearly cost myself the throne by trying to be born before my dad could sign the amendment allowing women to be heirs. They _love_ reminding me about that, like I did it on purpose."

Martin's face registered no recognition, "Were you born before your dad could draft the paperwork or something?"

Addy laughed, never having been given the chance to tell the story herself before. "They had to amend the constitution, it took months. Apparently, they planned this big formal ceremony because that's the only way people would accept the change in the order of succession, and my mom's water broke right before the ceremony started. She'd been in labor all morning, but she literally almost had me in the middle of the formal ceremony, wearing full royal regalia, live on television."

"My God! I've never heard that!"

Addy laughed, "Yeah, I wasn't supposed to be born for a few more days, and if I'd been born a few hours earlier, Jameson would be the heir and I'd be... well... " She trailed off. She'd be free from having to host a selection, for starters. Free from having to beg and scrape and compromise for the advisers to endorse her education at university. Free from a future of paperwork and bending over backwards to be universally liked, and dealing with whatever Swendway was up to. "Well, never mind." Addy concluded.

If she wasn't heir, then Jamesy would be. And no matter how claustrophobic she felt about her future sometimes, it would likely be worse if that future was Jamesy's and she had to sit by and watch her baby brother struggle the way she'd watched her father struggle. She'd much rather bear the burden herself, even if it meant sacrifices she didn't even know she'd have to make yet.

"Hey." Martin probably wasn't able to guess her thoughts, but he saw the somber expression in her eyes, and he was eager to distract her. "Open it." He pointed to the gift.

"Okay." Addy was happy to be distracted, and she sat down at the table and eagerly tore at the paper, exposing a brown cardboard box. "Wow! It's just what I always wanted!"

Martin laughed, even as he groaned at her lame joke, "I can't believe our future monarch has such a cheesy sense of humor."

"You've obviously never met my father. The current monarch is even worse."

"Open the box, goofball." Martin joined her at the table, sitting in the chair next to her, watching her face for the expression of surprise that would soon overtake it.

"It's... hair?" Addy pulled out a mass of black hair. It felt very fake, but it looked real enough.

"A wig."

" _Wow_... thank you?"

Martin laughed at her bewildered expression, "If you could pick any name in the world for yourself, what would it be?"

"Excuse me?

"Answer."

Addy hadn't daydreamed alternate names for herself since she was seven or eight years old. "I don't know..."

"Got any heroes? You could take one of their names."

"Why am I taking a name at all?"

Martin knitted his hands together nervously, his expression growing worried. "See... there's this end of semester party that I'd like to take you to. It's special. They're going to do something and... You _have_ to be there. You just do."

"That sounds great! But..." she trailed off, her mind clicking, "I'm wearing a disguise?" She grinned excitedly, "We're going to see if people know I'm the princess?"

"We're going to bet they won't." Martin said. "You'll wear the wig, and thick layers of winter clothes, and maybe do your makeup a little differently. Oh! Check for a little drawstring bag..."

Addy looked in her cardboard box and found a burgundy pouch. She opened the strings and poured the tiny contents into the palm of her hand. "What is this?" She giggled.

"A nose ring."

Addy laughed so hard, she snorted.

Martin laughed at how adorable she was, tucking her hair behind her ear affectionately. "It's just a clip on. It draws attention away from your eyes, distorts the perception of you. No one would recognize the image we have of Princess Adrienne beneath the wig and makeup and nose ring."

"Okay, fine. I love it." It was like Halloween, and she couldn't wait to put her costume on.

"There's just one thing..." he looked worried. He was watching her unnervingly closely.

"What is it?"

He leant in, keeping his voice down in case Luke or anyone downstairs might hear, "It's off campus. The party is about fifteen minutes off campus. I have a car, I can drive us there, but..."

Addy's stomach sank, "Martin... I can't..."

"I know."

"Anywhere on campus, but off campus isn't in my radius."

"So, listen: It's safe. It's a university sponsored event, that means only students from school and the people who work at this place will be allowed inside. Second of all, no one would know you were there, you'll just be a normal girl. Third of all, it's a middle of the night thing, so we'll be back before breakfast. And lastly... it's once in a lifetime for you. Addy... sweetheart... you _really_ have to be there."

Addy's heart leapt into her throat when he used the pet name. He hadn't used a pet name with her before, and her heart was racing. Was she his sweetheart? How close were they to other affectionate names? Names her father used for her mother, names like 'Love'?"

It took several seconds for her to pick up the thread of the conversation again. "Martin, it sounds perfect. You're the most thoughtful person, so I'm sure it is perfect. But there's no way... Weaver would never authorize it. Ever. And even if I begged him to beg General Leger, the answer would still be 'no'."

"Almost everyone who'll be there has been background checked because of school." He reminded her desperately.

"Uncle Aspen will just say, 'what about the ones who haven't'."

"It's not some sketchy den of iniquity," Martin promised, "It's... everyone who works there, the only ones who'll be there who aren't current university students, has a masters degree or even a PhD."

Addy gulped. Wherever this was, it would be… _intellectual_. A midnight gathering of minds. It wouldn't be a drunken party or raucous sporting event, it would be... almost some kind of academic soirée.

Tears flooded her eyes, she wanted to go _so_ badly. "He'll never agree. Never. There's no way."

Martin laced a hand with hers. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

He whispered, "I can get you there and back before the guards start their morning exercises. They'll sleep through the whole thing. They'll never know you were gone."

Addy's stomach clenched, sickened at the thought. She'd never been good at purposefully breaking rules. At least, not without a firm sense of justice in her actions. She's once tried to hide an entire horse in the Great Room at the Palace, but at the time she'd been convinced the horse's life was at stake. This was different. Could she be so firm in her belief of fairness and rightness when it was for her own good and not someone else's?

"Tell me more." She needed time to make up her mind.

"The fire escape stairwell out the window in your room... tell the guards you want to get some sleep before your trip to the Palace tomorrow. Turn off all the lights. The guards will turn in early if you do. They'll want to be ready for an early departure if you demand it tomorrow morning, right?"

"They'll need to be awake two hours before we leave..." Addy reasoned. "So, yeah, they'll want to get to sleep early."

"Slip out your window and down the fire escape stairs. I'll be right down the street in my car."

Addy gulped at the thought, "I could really ride in your car?"

"It's nothing special," he scratched behind his ear, embarrassed, "It's boring, really. But it had great safety ratings, that's all my mom and dad cared about. Getting me to university and back in one piece, no matter how slow and dull the ride."

Addy furrowed her brow, "Good safety ratings?"

"It's not an armored car like you're used to, of course. But the airbags are great, it holds up well in crash tests, it doesn't hydroplane on wet roads. That kind of thing."

Addy scratched her lip, "My dad would like that... I mean, in an alternate world where I don't have to have armed guards all the time, he's like it."

Martin pressed, "We'd be back and you'd be up the fire escape and in bed before sunrise. You'll be tired tomorrow, but perfectly safe. I could even come by and 'surprise' you with breakfast from the bakery."

He was winning her over with every word. It sounded like the most amazing night of her life, but was she brave enough to do it?

Martin kept thinking of ways to make this happen for her, "What about Aaliyah? She can't tell on you when you do stuff, right? She doesn't report on you to your dad or the General. Plus, she's really young, she'd probably understand how important this is. If you told her you'd go with or without her, she'd have to go with you." he reasoned.

Addy wasn't sure, "I think that only works within the approved radius. I think if I leave the approved radius, she has to call it in immediately… I don't know…" Could she risk missing out on this amazing experience because she tattled on herself? Was she brave enough to go without guards? Could she live with herself for the rest of her life if she missed this night?

Whatever this date was, it was sure to be perfect. And safe, Martin wouldn't put her at risk. And if she lived to be a hundred years old, she'd always regret missing it and wonder what might have been in almost every spare moment she'd ever have.

That would be a _lot_ of regret. That would be a hefty life sentence for a girl so young, she decided.

"I want to go." she declared.

Martin smiled broadly. Then, he showed her his mobile telephone, "If anything gets scary and you want Weaver, we'll call him immediately. I don't care about getting in trouble, I just want you to experience this."

Addy threw her arms around him, "Okay, I'll visit you in the dungeons." she joked.

"That's all a man can ask for." he laughed.

"Leave. I'll tell the guards I'm going to bed and then put on my costume. I'll meet you down the street in an hour."

"What will I call you next time I see you?" he reminded her of his earlier inquiry, about her fake name.

"Could I be Bird?"

He tilted his head, "I don't know. It's pretty common knowledge that your family and friends call you Bird. We want a normal, unassuming name. Something to blend in."

She pressed her lips together, thinking it through. "Robin?"

He grinned, pleased and enticed, "Oh, wow. That's perfect."

* * *

Addy had so much fun applying striking black winged eyeliner and dark, smokey eyeshadow. She twisted and pinned her sectioned red hair up, then put on the black wig. She had bangs! She loved it!

She chose a soft black t-shirt and a dark grey hoodie that would look great tied around her waist once she got indoors. She picked her most casual pair of jeans, and she put on her heavy lace up boots. They were comfortable enough, but mostly they were a good costume choice. With the nose ring on, she looked like a totally different person. An older, more intriguing person. She reminded herself of Meri's cool polyamorous roommate. She was in heaven, and the night hadn't even really begun.

She was thrilled with tingles every time she paused to let it sink in that she would remember this night for the rest of her life.

When it came time to sneak out her window, she thought she was going to puke, faint, and have a massive heart attack all at the same time. She could barely breathe and her heart was hammering so loud in her chest, she was sure one of the guards would hear it. But she tiptoed down the metal stairs to the grass below, undetected, and then she slipped around the house, hurrying to remain in the shadows, and when she was halfway down the street, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She'd made it. She was out, on her own, no guards, for the first time in her whole entire existence.

It was thrilling and terrifying, she was grinning but she felt pretty sure a band of villains was waiting around every corner to kidnap her. She walked quickly past a group of students sitting out on the front steps of one of the houses down the street from Addy's, positive that they would recognize her and ask her why she was wearing that wig, but none of them stared. None of them took so much as a second glance. They had _no idea_ it was Addy. They were too wrapped up in their own lives to realize the momentous thing that was happening in hers, and it made Addy feel more powerful than she ever had as princess. She had the power to be irrelevant now. What an unexpected relief, to be irrelevant. She was free.

By the time she reached Martin's idling, beige car, Addy felt like a superhero with an invisibility power. Martin leapt out of the car and jogged around, pressing her gently against the hood and kissing her soundly.

"You came." He breathed raggedly.

"Yeah. Of course." she tried to pretend that she hadn't nearly died thirty times just thinking about sneaking out.

"Did you leave a note?"

"On my pillow. No secret service manhunts if someone notices I'm gone. They'll just call your number."

"Good." Martin smiled and kissed her again. There was something hungry in the way his tongue pillaged her mouth that time.

Addy pulled her lips away to study his face questioningly. In reply to her unspoken question, he said bashfully, "You look amazing, Robin."

Addy grinned at her new name, "The nose ring isn't too silly?"

"I think it's beautiful." He said of the tiny, dainty silver hoop.

"It feels so weird."

"It's just for tonight. Hopefully it won't bother you too much." He frowned, worried that his costume choice might ruin her evening.

"Just know, if you catch me picking my nose tonight, I'm adjusting this fake nose ring." she giggled.

He laughed, "I'd never think anything else." Then he reached behind her and pulled the latch on his passenger side door. He bowed and made a sweeping gesture with his arm, "My lady."

"Tonight, that's all I have to be." she smiled. "I'm just your lady. Just yours."

He beamed up at her as he held the bow, and she slid into his car, butterflies the size of eagles taking flight in her stomach. She was really doing this. She was really leaving campus.

"You okay?" Martin checked. He was in the driver's seat now, fastening his safety belt.

"I've... never sat in the front seat of a car before." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly what was on her mind, either.

"Would you rather sit in the back? I don't mind," he offered, "I just want you to be comfortable and have fun."

Addy giggled at the thought, "No! I want to sit with you. It's just new. I like it, though."

"You like it?"

"I l-love it." She tripped over the word, and she knew she could easily have enticed her tongue into saying the _other_ words. Were they true? Did she _love_ Martin?

He seemed to be considering how easily she might have said the other words, too. He smiled and turned the key in the ignition. The car roared to life and the headlights blazed ahead of them, "It's only fifteen minutes away, but if you want, I could drive slow."

Addy relaxed back in her seat, enjoying the clear view provided by non-bulletproof glass. "Yes. Let's go slow."

Addy broke into a sweat when they crossed the front entrance of the long university drive and officially left campus. She felt like she was both flying _and_ dying.

"I'll turn around whenever you want. We'll only stay until you want to leave." Martin reassured her as he drove. It was part of the thrill, just knowing he was the driver. He was cute and smart, and he cared about his family and he thought she was cute and smart, and on top of all of that, he could _drive_. She smiled at him, but her stomach remained in knots.

"They don't know you're gone. They're sleeping, and they have no reason to worry." Martin reminded her, reading her expression as best he could.

This really did ease Addy's mind. It was true. What was the difference, really, between sitting here at 11:00pm, and laying in her bed at 11:00pm? For all Weaver knew, Addy was tucked in bed with Elephanty. And she wasn't going somewhere dangerous, she was just going somewhere new. All of her justifications linked together in her mind, albeit loosely, to form a cohesive story about why sneaking out had been the right decision. She went so far as to tell herself that Weaver would _want_ her to go, if the rules were different and her father hadn't brainwashed him into being afraid of what was around every corner. Weaver would even be happy for her, if the rules were just a little different because her father was just a little less paranoid.

Addy loved watching Martin's car's headlights shine on the street ahead of them, loved watching the dark shadows of trees fly by her window, loved seeing the stars twinkling above and the moon glowing brightly on the winter clear night.

Addy was sure Martin's mobile phone would ring any moment and an enraged Weaver would demand she surrender her current location at once, but the little device stayed in her lap for the entire ride, and it didn't ring once.

Martin followed road signs that Addy had never payed any attention to before. Road signs were less prominent from the back seat, through tinted windows. It was odd to think, but Addy had never known that road signs were so bright and colorful. The one denoting their exit from the highways was the most captivating shade of green.

"You're quiet." Martin noticed.

"Just... it's beautiful."

"What is?"

Addy wasn't sure how to encapsulate all of what she was feeling. "The world outside of the fishbowl."

Martin beamed back at her, "I'm so glad you decided to come."

"Me, too."

The car slowed down and Martin turned into an enormous parking lot.

"What is this place?" Addy practically had her nose to the window, trying to decipher where they were just from looking at the side of the giant, multi-storied stone building. It was hard to tell what it was, given that she couldn't see the front entrance of the building.

"You'll see." he smiled, cruising slowly into a vacant parking spot. Several other students had just arrived and were piling out of cars all down the row.

"Is it a theater? Are we seeing a play?" It seemed big for a theater, but that was the sort of outing that couldn't be brought to Addy on campus.

"Nope."

When he turned off the car, he hurried around to get the door for her, "My Lady." he offered her a hand.

She didn't need the help, but she liked it, and she kept holding his hand on the whole walk towards the front of the building.

Addy tucked the wig hair nervously behind her ear, "Do they recognize me?" she worried as a pair of girls waiting on the sidewalk ahead of them stared.

"I don't think so." Martin reassured her.

Just then, one of those girls called out, "Nice boots! Vintage?"

Addy blinked, stunned, never having been approached like that by a stranger before.

She looked down, "My boots? Uh... No, they're just a couple of years old actually."

"They look great, where'd they come from?" the second girl asked.

"Uh... England." Addy had quickly buried her first response, that they'd been a gift from the Queen of England.

"Aw." The first girl was disappointed. Presumably England would be too far for her to travel for a pair of boots.

And that was it. It was such a simple interaction, but it was the strangest of Addy's life. No adulation, no pleas for royal assistance, no revulsion at royal policies, none of the gambit of intense emotions Addy was used to encountering when she met strangers. Even around campus, where the students were good about leaving her alone, there were stares and whispers. But, one glance over her shoulders, and it was obvious that the girls on the sidewalk were back to disinterestedly awaiting some missing member of their party. No whispers, no gossip.

"Robin?" Martin asked, worried about her.

"I... I'm good." Addy returned her attention to her date as they rounded the corner and the front facade of the building finally came into view.

The stone steps leading up to the multitude of ornate entrance doors reminded Addy of a grand library she'd once visited in Italy. She was halfway up the steps when the banners announcing the evening's event caught her eye, along with the name of the building hosting them.

Addy's feet stilled to a stop of their own accord. Martin didn't notice until he was one or two steps higher than her. "Robin?"

Addy could hardly speak. Her voice came out a breathless whisper. "The _museum_? We're... we're at the museum?"

Martin beamed back at her, "They host this event once a year, for current students only. Each exhibit is staffed by high level curators who can answer any question you might have about their exhibit. It lasts until sunrise, and the outer space exhibit is especially breathtaking."

Addy shook her head, completely overwhelmed, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him close. "You remembered. It's my dream, the thing I'd want to do most if I was out of the fishbowl..."

"Well Robin, you're normal until sunrise. Why don't we go explore, just like you've always wanted?"

When Addy was a little girl, her father had pulled a rare fairytale from a 100-year-old book, completely out of print, from his private library. He'd read it to her for bedtime a few times over the years, as she'd grown up. It was about a cinder girl who made a wish and was granted a gown and a trip to a royal ball, where she and the prince fell madly in love. The cinder girl had always reminded Addy of her mother, who'd won a lottery to go to the Palace and compete for Prince Maxon's affection.

But tonight, Addy was the cinder girl. She'd made a wish and been granted normal clothing and a trip to a public event as a civilian, and here she would stay with a handsome, kind, regular boy until the magic wore off and she returned to her gilded cage.

"There's no tour, we're allowed to wander wherever we want." Martin whispered in her ear. "Where do you want to wander first?"

Addy smiled against his shoulder and leant away from the hug, "Do they have mummies here?"

"A couple." Martin grinned, thoroughly amused by the request.

In that case, she didn't even have to think about it. It was always her favorite part of any natural history museum visit. "I want mummies!"

Martin laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist, "If my lady wants mummies, then by God, I'll give her mummies. Let's go."

* * *

The Ancient Egypt wing was in the back of the museum, and Addy relished the freedom as she walked right past several clusters of students readying to tour the prehistoric wing, enthusiastically awaiting their chance to ogle dinosaur bones.

This museum was set up like a wheel, each wing a spoke off of a center concessions area. Addy noted that the museum had hung several banners bearing the logo for Kings University Angeles, along with notes of greeting for the students ("young scholars" as the museum called them). Though it was true that this was a special welcome, it was markedly different than the royal welcomes she usually received while out with her family. As such, Addy still felt outrageously average in the best possible way.

There was one curator in the Egyptian wing, as well as a handful of students who, like Addy, were saving the dinosaurs for later and taking early advantage of the mummies. The curator was answering a few of their questions, and discussing their majors with them interestedly. Addy overheard that one of them happened to be a history major, specializing in the medieval era. The curator found this to be a very interesting topic of conversation, and though she nodded politely at Martin and Addy, she didn't give them a second glance as she continued to talk to the history major and his friends.

Addy nearly jumped up and down with excitement at not being noticed.

"You're really so starved for anonymity?" Martin laughed, noticing her barely contained hop.

"I feel like a spy! I could do anything right now and no one would ever know it was me."

"Well, there are a _few_ limits." he warned her, hoping to discourage her from attempting any major heists.

Addy shrugged, not caring about her limitations in the slightest. The mummies in their glass cases, positioned in the middle of the room next to the sarcophagi they'd been excavated in, now held her undivided attention. "Wow." Addy admired, leaning down to admire the ancient linens.

After a few moments of letting Addy gape in silence, Martin slid his hand into hers and said, "So... what do you think? Ancient royalty?"

"Probably not, I think the ancient Kings were always mummified with their arms crossed over their chests." Addy mused, thoughtfully, looking to the sarcophagus lid for clues. "Probably a nobleman or something, though. Someone with enough money to afford this ritual…"

"Why do you think they wanted to do this so badly?" Martin wondered, eyeing the two mummies uncomfortably. It certainly was an eerie sight. "Surely their families could have used the money for practical things, after the loss of their loved ones…"

"Um," Addy glanced at the curator, who was still lost in conversation, not wanting to be overheard in case she was wrong. "It's hard to say for sure. None of us were alive back then to ask them about it, you know? But ancient Egyptians were good about writing things down, and I think historians are pretty sure that people thought they'd be able to use their bodies again one day."

"And they wanted them to look like that?" Martin winced at the wrappings.

"Better than nothing, I suppose." Addy murmured, trying to make sense of the hieroglyphs on the sarcophagi lids.

"All those scary stories that revolve around mummies coming to life make a lot more sense now." Martin marveled. "Egyptians actually thought they'd get to walk around and spook some people." he wrapped an arm around her waist. "You know what?"

Addy tore her eyes away from the sarcophagi lids to meet his gaze, "Hm?"

"If that whole Q—" he stopped himself before he said 'Queen' out loud and quickly corrected, " _Family business_ thing doesn't work out for you, you could have a great future as a museum tour guide."

"Really?" Addy giggled.

"Yeah, I could listen to you talk about this stuff all day."

Suddenly, staring into his eyes like that, Addy couldn't have cared less about the thousands-of-years-old art in the room. "I'll keep that in mind."

Martin nodded, pressing a kiss to her temple.

The students talking with the curator did eventually move on, as more trickled in, out, and around. Addy asked the curator if she'd ever studied hieroglyphics, and when the curator said that she had, Addy eagerly asked her all about the ancient written language.

After they'd finally wandered away from the ancient Egypt wing to find a snack or two, and before they'd headed off to find some medieval European armor to ogle, Addy mused, "If I could live on this earth for a thousand years, I'd dedicate a decade each to completely learning every language that there's ever been. Think about the bizarre commonalities that might crop up between the ancient Coptic of Egypt and middle ages Russian or something! And then, as I spotted the similarities from all the diverse languages, I could really start thinking about the human mind and where we're the most similar across time and space-"

Martin slurped from a slushy he'd picked up on their way out of the Egypt wing, "You know you're amazing, right, Robs?"

"Robs?" Addy laughed.

"The ideas you have, the thoughts that casually flit through your brain... It's like I could talk to you every day for the rest of my life and still not know everything that's happening in that mind of yours."

"Is that bad?"

"How could it be?" Martin offered her a slurp of cherry slushy and she eagerly accepted. "I'd never be bored. There would always be something new to think about. Now I can't stop wondering what kinds of grammar and vocabulary pop up in seemingly unrelated languages, and if so, what those similarities might say about humanity as a whole." he laughed as Addy took an especially big slurp from his slushy, "I can't believe that whole unfathomable brain of yours is powered on pure slushy right now."

"Soon it will be powered on those cheese fries we saw back there." Addy smacked her slurpy-reddened lips at the thought of the cheese that lay in her future.

"So if we keep you steeped in slurpy and cheese, that brain could solve the whole world's problems, given enough time?" Martin laughed.

"Maybe." Addy shrugged. "Look!" They'd come upon medieval jewelry and Addy was immediately enthralled, imagination lost in a whirlwind, trying to picture the women who'd worn them and the lives they'd been leading. Did they have to worry about plague? Had the jewels been passed down in their family for dozens of generations before ending up at a museum on the other side of the world? Addy was enraptured, and best of all, there was no royal tour guide to recite brief, basic facts about the jewelry and then lead her away before her imagination was done fully dreaming up the lost worlds from which those medieval jewels had come.

* * *

Addy buzzed from exhibit to exhibit, reading the placards beside the dioramas and admiring the carvings on the ancient coins (done by hand, she realized for the first time as she looked at them), but in the end, one of the most amazing parts of the night happened in the outer space exhibit.

This museum had a special little observation deck on the roof, which it usually only opened a couple of times a month for midnight stargazing. But as this was a special occasion, they had the deck open and available for the university students to explore and admire, with real astronomers on hand. The exhibit started inside, on the top floor of the building, where Addy and Martin could wander through a collection of high-resolution images of various parts of the universe. It was mind-boggling to even try to imagine the scope of it all, as she and Martin tried futility to fathom the size of the planet earth within the Milky Way galaxy, and then compare that to how small the Milky Way was within the rest of the known universe.

"We barely exist." Addy laughed, finally giving up on trying to imagine it as she and Martin stood and stared at an enormous portrait showing a rendering of the borders of the known universe, and a teeny tiny speck of static where the Milky Way was approximately positioned.

"We exist in the biggest way we know how," Martin added, "But yeah, it's a tiny speck, like a single grain of sand in the scope of the rest of the known universe."

"What do you think is in the _unknown_ universe?" Addy's eyes widened, giggling.

"Mostly puppies, probably." Martin joked, shrugging.

"Puppies? Can they breathe out there?"

"Oh yeah, don't worry, they've got spaceships."

"Astronaut puppies?"

"Yeah, the unknown universe is just lots and lots of planets of puppies, and they've got spaceships to go visit each other and play tug-of-war and share treats."

"That sounds kind of unbelievable, Martin."

"Prove me wrong." he dared her.

Addy laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. "I can't."

"Exactly. So my theory is just as valid as all the astrophysicists' out there."

"You should publish a paper."

"Maybe I will." he smiled.

They could have moved on right then, but instead they stood there for a long minute, Martin just enjoying Addy's embrace and Addy enjoying the smell of Martin's citrusy shampoo where she nestled her nose along his hairline.

"Want to see the stars?" he finally offered, after what felt like a good, long while.

"Mhmm." Addy's eyes were closed, and she may or may not have been falling asleep right where she stood. It was well past the middle of the night, and she'd had a long week of exams.

"Let's go." he slowly moved and took her hand, leading her out to the balcony and then up the stairs to the roof, where the observation deck was located. It was just a few telescopes and some star charts, but the view of the sky was breathtaking on a clear night like this one.

Addy and Martin found an empty bench and claimed it, practicing spotting the constellations based on the star charts mounted to the low wall that created a border around the deck on the roof.

"These _must_ have looked different back when they were named." Martin frowned, trying to make sense of Canis Major.

"Probably." Addy watched as a satellite sped from one side of the sky to the other. "Do you ever think about how close we came to colonizing other planets?"

"Not really." Martin admitted.

"Before the third and fourth world wars, it was something that was practically a given. We were going to colonize, at the very least, Mars. But all the funding for research and space exploration was redirected to war efforts, and when resources grew more scarce, we changed our focus to survival on this planet instead of others."

"Well… maybe you could start the space mission again someday." Martin suggested. "It would be amazing to be able to travel back and forth from Mars, like for vacation."

"Hmm." Addy mused, resting her head on Martin's shoulder, staring hard at the bright, easily visible planet Mars in the sky. "It would have to be an international effort this time, instead of making it a proprietary venture for individual countries like it once was."

"That seems easier now than it probably was a hundred years ago." Martin mused.

"It could be some kind of project to improve relations between allies. Our scientists could travel freely on special visas, we could find ways to incentivize scientists to take on jobs teaching school children about space… it could lead to a whole generation of eager young scientists…"

"What would something like that cost?" Martin asked, feeling amazed and humbled. Every once in a while, it really hit him again that he was sitting next to a future world leader.

Addy snorted, "In money or years of my life coordinating?"

"It does sound like it would require a lot of cooperation."

"Still… it might be possible." Addy said, eyeing the red planet wistfully. "And even if we never really colonize another planet, the science that came out of the research would certainly be astounding. Maybe that science is our next great leap forward after this century of war and uncertainty."

Martin was staring at the top of her head, resting on his shoulder, like she might be some kind of alien, "You're… _amazing_."

Addy loved that he was running out of ways to phrase his awe. She tilted her head to look up at him, "Don't go home for the winter. Stay at school with me."

Martin pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose, "Believe me, that's a tempting thought." He nuzzled her fake nose ring, chuckling.

"Don't knock it out." Addy chastised, hurrying to readjust the fake ring.

"It suits you, you know."

"No, it doesn't." Addy complained.

"Not the black hair, maybe. I love your regular hair. But the nose ring? It certainly suits you."

"Well, too bad. I'd do just as well to bury my Aunt Silvia alive as get a nose piercing, it would have the same effect."

Martin laughed, "Who's your Aunt Silvia? Is she from Queen Amberly's extended family?"

"No, no, she's not a blood relative. You remember Gavril Fadaye's wife?"

Martin narrowed his eyes in thought, "Is that her? I don't think I've ever even seen her…"

"She's not much for the spotlight, which is a funny counterbalance to Gavril."

"It must be."

"But she's _always_ there, standing just offstage. She's my mom's Head of Staff, so she basically helped raise me. She knows everything there is to know about royal protocol and propriety, and she taught my mother how to be respectful of the office of Queen, once Mom won Dad's Selection."

"So if you got a nose piercing, she'd think you were disrespecting the office of Heir?"

"No, because she would instantly die upon seeing it and not have the time to think anything about it. But I don't feel like widowing Gavril, it just seems sort of mean-spirited."

"I agree. It would definitely be impolite."

"Right, so I'll avoid nose piercings, at least until Aunt Silvia is retired."

"On the whole, I think you've made the right decision," Martin joked, "But I have to say, I'll miss it."

"Maybe we could do this again sometime?" Addy suggested, "I mean, the dressing up part?"

"Every chance we get." he promised, then pressed a tidy little kiss to her lips. He checked his watch, "Dinosaurs, then back to campus?"

Addy didn't want the night to end, she was living a dream, but it _would_ be a relief to return to her room and not have to worry about getting caught anymore. "What if I never get to come here again?" she worried, "What if we never get to sit on this bench and look at these stars again?"

Martin brushed a finger up and down her arm, soothingly. "They'll throw this museum night again next year. We'll go. And then, once we graduate, you can make a royal, queenly trip of it every year. A midnight trip to the observation deck to sit on this bench and talk about science and nose rings."

"With you as my guest?"

Martin nodded, smiling, "It's a date."

* * *

They took their time in the prehistoric wing, naming each individual dinosaur as they pleased. Addy named the pterodactyl "Whiskers", and Martin named the triceratops "Rover". They mourned the demise of their dino-pets as they read through the most current theory about how the dinosaurs went extinct, and then admired the dioramas depicting the earliest days of humanity.

At around 4:00 in the morning, Martin mentioned that they ought to leave soon. They wanted to have Addy back before the guards started their morning exercises, and if the guards were planning early exercises so that they could be done in time for Addy to leave for the Palace, then they might wake up as early as 5:00.

This jolted Addy into finally agreeing to leave the museum, but she was quiet for most of the ride back to campus, staring at the sky and the trees and road in turns, soaking in every detail that she possibly could. "I don't want this to be over." she said, as Martin turned onto the drive that officially returned them to campus, "I'm not ready to turn back into a princess."

"It's only temporary." Martin reminded her. "We'll take another vacation from Princess-hood as soon as we can."

"Good." That little hope would be enough. It would have to be.

Martin slowed the car to a stop, halfway down the street from Addy's house. The street was much quieter than it had been earlier, but there were still a handful of house parties bravely persevering through the night. "You go back up the fire escape to your room, and I'll go find some bagels or something for breakfast. Okay?" Martin said.

"Okay." she was sad that the evening was over, but at least she'd have bagels to soften the blow.

"I'm keeping an eye on you until you get to your yard, just to make sure you're safe." Martin said.

"I'm safe," Addy reassured him, "But thank you. For _everything_."

"It was a good birthday present?"

"It was the _best_ birthday present. A fairytale come true." she leant over and kissed him, relishing the feel of his lips on hers.

The sooner she left the car, the sooner he could go and get breakfast, and the sooner she'd successfully return to her bedroom without alarming any of her guards, so when her lungs burned for air, she reluctantly tore herself away from the kiss and slipped out the car door, closing it as softly as she could.

True to his word, Martin sat right there in his car and kept an eye on her until she got to the end of the street and disappeared around the side of her house. Addy's heart raced as she tiptoed up the metal stairs, slower than she wanted to go so that she'd be as quiet as she needed to be.

It wasn't until she had one leg in her bedroom that she noticed the figure sitting on the far edge of her bed, head in his hands.

Addy slid through the window, grinning widely, "Luke! Guess what, it was _amazing_ , Martin and I went to this special event at the museum and—" the words died in her throat.

Luke had turned his head to look at her, not bothering to sit up straight. Now she could see that, in his palm, he held the note she'd left on her pillow, and his eyes were red, puffy, but not from exhaustion. Luke had been _crying_.

"What's wrong?" Addy hurried over to him, sitting on her bed and moving to place a hand on his back.

He leant away before she could touch him and stood up quickly, "How could you be _this_ stupid, Adrienne?" he crumpled the note in his fist angrily. His voice was low, but he somehow communicated through the tone that if he could, he'd be shouting.

Luke had never been mad at Addy before. Not once. Addy was so taken aback, her sleep-deprived mind wouldn't accept it at first. "Luke, it's not that bad. We didn't go somewhere dangerous—"

"You have no idea what's dangerous, you spoilt child." he spat.

"What?!" Addy snapped, but she kept her voice low, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You could have died!"

" _How_? How do people die at museums, Luke? Do the dinosaurs come to life and eat them or something?"

"Do you think there are _no_ people who want to see your monarchy in turmoil?" he demanded.

"No one even knew I was there, that's the whole point of this stupid wig—" Addy tore the thing off her head and ran her hands through her real hair until it again fell past her shoulders in waves.

"Then what about a car crash? A complete accident? How many hours would it have taken for your guards to find you? By then, you could have been dead. How could you put Weaver through that? He's been putting his body between you and danger since _before you were born_ , and it didn't matter at all to you that you might have forced him to shoulder your casket, too?"

"You're being dramatic, Luke." Addy said, angry that he was making her feel so guilty after the best night of her life. All she'd wanted to do was tell him about the amazing things she'd seen and done, and he was scolding her like some kind of kid. She was _seventeen_ now. She wasn't a kid.

"This was, by far, the most selfish thing you've ever done. I never would have expected it from you." he was seething.

"Luke, if you'd calm down, I'll explain it all. We had a plan—"

"You're taking Illéan history this winter, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Aren't you?!" he demanded.

"Yeah. What does that have to do with—"

"I hope you learn a damned thing about how many guards, brave young men, have laid down their lives to protect the monarchy since Illéa was formed, all for the hope, the long shot in the dark, that _you_ might one day be born. If you learn about how near your monarchy came to being obliterated before you were born, and the guards who died so that it wouldn't be, perhaps you'll treat their sacrifice with a modicum of respect in the future. Perhaps you've never faced a rebel in your life, but that doesn't mean that they didn't threaten your very existence."

"Luke, it was _just a_ _museum_ —"

He looked at her, amazed at how thoroughly she was missing the point. He was forced to conclude that a girl as smart as she was must be purposefully missing the point. "I can't look at you right now." he turned away, ready to leave her room.

That turn away burned Addy more deeply than she ever would have expected, "Luke, wait—"

He paused in her doorway but didn't turn back, "Please apologize to your parents on my behalf. I won't be making your birthday ball after all. I'm needed in London."

Addy thought there must be some mistake, "No, Luke, you promised. Remember, at your birthday? You said you'd come to mine. You said you owe me a dumb present—"

"I know what I said." he snapped. Then he stared down at the crumpled note still in his hands. He took a shuddering breath and let it fall to the floor. "This isn't you, Addy."

"Why is it so wrong?!" Addy was beyond desperate, she'd never expected this level cruelty from Luke. They'd never, _never_ fought before. She just had to make him see her side of things and he'd realize that he'd overreacted. "I didn't break a law, I didn't do anything scandalous, there were no drugs or… tattoos or… I don't know!" she didn't have a good head for imagining scandals. "I went to a museum with my boyfriend to celebrate the end of the semester. We shared a slurpy and admired the mummies. It was magical, Luke, no one knew I was the Princess because of my costume. I had a fake name, and I was just a normal girl—"

He rounded on her, furious, but at least he was looking at her again. "What's so great about 'normal', Adrienne? Hmm? What's so _amazing_ about 'normal' that, had anything gone wrong, would have been worth the look on your father's face? What it would do to Rosie to find out you'd been hurt or worse? Please enlighten me. Tell me what it is about 'normal' that's worth risking Rosie in the front row of yourfuneral?"

Addy shook her head, "That wouldn't have happened."

"You think the only way people die in this world is assassination attempts? People die every day from a myriad of mundane causes. _Normal_ causes." he spat the word 'normal' with a level of scorn she'd never have expected from her sweet, quiet English boy.

"Fine." she relented, hands shaking, "You want to know why 'normal' means so much to me?"

"Do tell." he scowled.

"'Normal' is freedom, Lucas." she said, simply. "'Normal' is the ability to walk through a room without people tracking your every movement, without whispers or stares. Tonight a girl talked to me, and instead of the usual questions about the royal family accompanied by a nervous curtsey, she asked me where I got my boots. That's it. Just my boots. One day, I hope to the be the head of a free society, and wouldn't it be terrible if I, myself, had _never_ been free? When Martin asked me to join him tonight, I saw _one chance_. The only chance I might ever have, in fact, to be truly free. Privacy, anonymity, _that's_ freedom. That's what I had tonight. And I'm not sorry."

Lucas did not look impressed by her big speech. "You truly are a spoilt Princess."

Coming from Lenore, those words would have been almost a term of endearment. But coming from Luke, they stung far more than they would have if they'd been said by anyone else in the whole wide world.

Addy lashed out to hide her wounds, "You're not the heir to anything, I wouldn't expect you to understand."

It was a monumentally low blow. Luke had lived his whole life being called a 'spare'. An extra son. Totally unneeded, unless something happened to Andrew. It was the gap in his armor, his most vulnerable spot, and Addy knew exactly where to stab. The words were like ashes pouring out of her mouth, even as she said them she regretted them, but it was too late. The damage was done.

Luke didn't say a word, but he slammed her bedroom door loudly behind him, causing Addy to jump, startled. No doubt the guards would be awake after that.

Addy numbly recognized that she needed to shower off the extensive amount of makeup she was wearing before any guards came up to check on the loud door-slamming noise, and she robotically changed into her bathrobe, picking her towel off of the hook it hung on. It wasn't until she was behind the locked bathroom door, the water good and hot, and the room beginning to steam, that Addy let herself cry.


	20. Chapter 19

Addy was a mess for the entire ride home. She tried to focus on Meri's cheerful banter, tried to let the knot in her stomach be soothed by her best friend's pure, sweet excitement for Addy's birthday ball, but it was no use. There was just no getting past the fact that Luke was supposed to be sitting right across from her, maybe teasing her about how long she'd have to spend getting ready for the night, and instead he was an hour into a flight that would take him all the way across the ocean for the next month and a half.

A month and a half had been nothing, this time last year. She and Luke had gone months and months without seeing each other, before. But everything was different now, they _lived_ together. His little movements and noises had supplanted her family's, they were a morning alarm clock and an evening lullaby. Instead of Wilberforth barking to be taken for a walk at dawn, there was clattering in the sink as Luke prepared his morning cup of tea. Instead of Bridget coming in with a newspaper, coffee, and a platter of breakfast, there was Luke popping bread into the toaster or humming in the shower or riffling through his book bag to make sure he had what he needed for class. Late at night, just before bed, he would call home because it was early morning in England, it was his best chance of getting to talk to his dad before daily meetings began. The voice he used with his mother was totally different, softer and a little higher than the one he used with his dad. How could he be skipping Addy's birthday party? How could she not hear that voice for a month and a half? Would he still be mad at her when he got back? Would he ever forgive her for trying to live her life on her own terms?

"Addy? You alright?" Meri seemed to have noticed Addy's sour expression, "Are you carsick? Should I ask the guards to pull over for a minute?"

"No, I'm fine. Just tired." It certainly was convenient to have something to blame her distraction on.

"You really went on a _midnight_ date last night?" Meri's eyebrows wiggled excitedly.

Addy glanced toward the dark, tinted divide that separated the front and back seat, glad that all of her usual guards were traveling in the next car behind them. The guards in the front seat of this car would have no way of knowing, if they happened to overhear Meri, that Addy had totally shattered the rules by sneaking out.

Of course, Addy hadn't told Meri _everything_ about her date. She'd purposefully lied to hide the fact that she'd left campus unguarded. After the way that Luke had reacted, she didn't want to risk angering anyone else. Meri might be just as angry as Luke had been, seeing as her father

had dedicated his life, literally almost dying several times, to keep Addy and the royal family safe.

So rather than go into all of the amazing, glorious details of the museum date with the one person who might have been even more excited at the romance of it all than Addy had been, she lied, "We went stargazing... in the park. It was romantic and thoughtful... um, except for the guard keeping watch ten feet away."

Meri nodded, easily placated. After all, why would her best friend lie to her about something like this? Addy's stomach lurched with guilt as Meri said, "I still can't believe you found a boyfriend before I did. It's completely not fair. You weren't even looking for one."

"You're telling me." Addy complained.

"We need to step up the hunt for _my_ first boyfriend." Meri whined, "My lips might fall off from disuse."

Addy was relieved to have a good way to change the subject, "We'll keep an eye out for prospects tonight at the ball,"

"Yeah! That'll be perfect…" And Meri was off, verbally daydreaming about the handsome young men sure to be in attendance at Addy's ball that night, completely oblivious to the way that Addy's bleak thoughts returned to the painfully absent young man who wouldn't be there, Prince Lucas.

* * *

Both of Addy's parents were waiting to greet her when the car pulled into the side drive of the Palace, which was quite the feat given their busy schedules. Queen America didn't even wait for the guards to open the back door to the car. She rushed forward as soon as the car had slowed to a respectable not-quite-stop and flung the back door open. Addy might have wondered if her parents had somehow found out her secret and were there to punish her, but the elated looks on both of their faces proved that they were just excited to have their baby bird home.

Meri sat back, grinning, as the Queen nearly jumped into the car, wrapping her arms tightly around Addy, ''Happy birthday, Bird!" America exclaimed.

Addy was so taken aback that she temporarily forgot all about her exhaustion and sadness. "Mom!" she laughed in surprise, struggling to free her arms from her mother's grasp to hug her back, "My birthday was two days ago…"

America pulled back to look at her, humor in her blue eyes and the delicate little laugh lines around them. "You think I don't know when your birthday is?" she demanded with mock incredulity. "Maxon, are you hearing this? She thinks I don't know when she was born."

"Mom—" Addy begged mercy, rolling her eyes as her mother pressed a loud kiss to her cheek.

"Believe me, Adrienne, I know when you were born. I remember every detail." America finally stood back to let Addy out of the car.

"I shouldn't have doubted you." Addy lamented, emerging from the car, standing upright, and slipping right into her father's waiting arms. Maxon squeezed her tightly and kissed her hair.

"Meri, sweetheart, welcome home.'' America squeezed her goddaughter tightly, ignoring the fact that Meri was the only one of the original Palace kid gang never to have actually lived in the Palace.

"Thanks, Aunt Ames."

"Your mother and brother are waiting for you on the second floor."

"Did you see my gown?" Meri asked breathlessly, eager for her surprise.

America winked, grinning knowingly, "It's marvelous."

Meri squealed excitedly, clapping her hands at the news. She rushed through her hug with Maxon and dashed off to find her mother, her brother, and her brand new gown.

"Sweetheart, where's Lucas?" America was looking around, perhaps expecting another car to roll up any second.

Addy felt like she might puke, having to explain _this_ to her mother and father. "He's… not coming."

Maxon and America shared a look replete with hidden meaning, and then Maxon took the lead. Very cautiously, he asked, "Where is he, Bird? Is he ill?"

"No. He just wanted to go home." Addy broke her father's gaze, fiddling with her songbird necklace. She wished the Palace staff weren't so prompt at carrying her bags up to her room, or she'd busy herself with her backpack.

Apparently, it was America's turn to ask the question her parents had telepathically deemed appropriate, "He's _skipping_ your _birthday_?" America asked, disbelief in her tone, as if maybe Addy had misunderstood and Luke was hiding in the trunk. "The two of you have been looking forward to this ever since you went to his party last summer."

"He changed his mind," Addy failed at making those words sound unimportant, "I don't want to talk about it." she tried to end the conversation, but her parents were like relentless detectives. There were just too many clues for them to let the trail go cold.

''That's just not like Lucas." Maxon frowned, bothered.

''Yes, it is." Addy said, a little too venomously. If it wasn't like Lucas, then he wouldn't have done it. This was who he was, maybe even who he'd always been.

"Sweetheart?" America asked, though she was obviously speaking for Maxon, too. "Is everything alright?" Addy could tell, just from the way she'd asked the question, that she already knew the answer.

" _Mom_ , I'm _fine_. I said I don't want to talk about it." Why did she have to survive the Illéan Inquisition just because Lucas had decided to stand her up at her own birthday party? Wasn't this Luke's fault? What did her parents want from her? "Don't you guys have somewhere else to be?" Addy asked, defensive and pointed and borderline rude.

Addy's parents shared a long look, and Addy wanted to snap at them about that, too. If they wanted to gossip about her, they could at least do it out loud. Finally, Maxon leant down and kissed her cheek, saying, "I'll see you tonight, my love." and then returning to the Palace, hurrying off to his next meeting.

Addy buried her face in her hands with a groan, wishing she could call him back as soon as he disappeared from view. _Great._ Now, on top of everything else, she felt guilty for being short with her parents when they were just trying to welcome her home and make sure she was okay. Her dad had probably woken up early to clear enough room in his schedule to come and greet her, maybe more than one day in a row. Addy's eyes stung with tears.

America wrapped an arm around her daughter, "You look exhausted, sweetheart. Why don't you go lay down? You have enough time for a nap before Bridget comes to get you ready for tonight. Come on. I'll tuck you in."

Addy dragged her hands down her face and nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat to say, "I'll feel better after a nap."

The words were more to herself than to America, but America nodded all the same and kissed her cheek, "A good nap and a hot meal, and you'll be just fine." America kept an arm around Addy, guiding her into the Palace, but after a moment she paused their walking, "I... I guess you and Luke are fighting, then?"

Addy's lower lip quivered. If she said 'yes' out loud, then it would be true. She didn't want it to be true, so instead, she just nodded.

"Is there _anything_ I can do to help?" America hugged Addy tightly, heart breaking. As kids, Luke and Addy hadn't always perfectly agreed on everything, but that was a _far_ cry from fighting. Both Luke and Addy were usually so easygoing that America knew, whatever had passed between them, to cause this it would have had to have been seismic. Or, at least, felt that way to two teenagers.

Addy just shook her head, the tip of her nose dragging along America's shoulder. She and Luke were long past the days when a little parent mediation would solve any toy-sharing disputes or quarrels about snack-ownership.

''Oh, Bird." America sighed, aching to ease her daughter's mind and heart, "Luke loves you. He always has. Whatever he's upset about, it's just a blip in the history of your friendship. You'll see. This will make the two of you stronger, in the end."

Addy wasn't sure. Luke had never, ever looked at her the way that he had that morning. It was like he was seeing her for the very first time, and he didn't like what he saw.

The truth was, Addy was growing up. She was changing, and there was more than a little chance that Luke wouldn't like what she became when she was done. She guessed the hardest part about becoming an adult would be accepting that, making peace with it. How could she ever, _e_ _ver_ be okay with Luke not liking her?

* * *

Sometime in the middle of her nap, Rosie climbed into bed with Addy. She curled up next to Addy's stomach and fell asleep pretty quickly, considering how hard it usually was to get little Rosie to take afternoon naps.

When Addy woke up, Rosie was still sleeping hard, little mouth wide open, emitting the tiniest snores ever as her warm body expanded and contracted against Addy's stomach with every breath. Addy smiled, relief flooding her that she would get to stay here, spending her time like this, until after Christmas.

She glanced at the small clock next to her bed. Four hours left until the ball. It was definitely time to get up and get ready. Gently, so as not to jostle her baby sister, Addy pressed the button on her nightstand to ring for Bridget.

Addy curled tightly around Rosie while she waited, desperately pushing aside all thoughts of Luke, of how monumental his absence felt. She allowed herself a few moments to think of Martin, instead, and of the museum, and of how _wonderful_ their date had been. The knot in her chest eased at the thought of him, and Rosie smacked her lips in her sleep, which made Addy giggle quietly.

It was so strange. A boyfriend had been the total opposite of what she'd been looking for

when she'd gone off to university, but it certainly seemed as if she'd found one anyway.

And, to be honest, Martin might not have been what she was looking for, but he was definitely what she needed.

She idly wondered if he'd napped before driving home, or if he'd driven home first and was now fast asleep in his own bed. She wondered what his childhood bedroom might look like. A twin bed? Maybe a full? Navy blue blankets or possibly a quilt? Did he share the room with one of his brothers? Had his father made him a candle, lit on his dresser, making everything smell of cinnamon or pine?

Bridget quietly entered Addy's room carrying a tray with two bowls of hot soup, a wedge of fresh sourdough bread, and two glasses of ice. They communicated without words to avoid disturbing Rosie, but Addy managed to convey her gratitude for the snack with wide, hungry eyes and an eager smile.

Bridget safely set the tray at the foot of Addy's bed on Rosie's side, well clear of any kicking

feet because Rosie's legs were so short, and then disappeared into Addy's bathroom. A moment later, the sounds and smells of a hot, oily bath began to waft out.

Addy sighed happily, pressing her lips to Rosie's hair and murmuring, "Buddy?"

Rosie wildly kicked one leg out in her sleep. All the way at the foot of the bed, the

soup tray was undisturbed.

Addy giggled, "Rosebud?" she tried again, "Ready for snack?"

Rosie wrinkled her tiny version of America's nose, whining incoherently.

"I know, Bud. But it's time to get ready for the ball."

This time, Rosie pried her eyelids open with enormous effort, ''Time for the ball?" her voice was groggy, as if she'd napped far longer than the couple of hours that had passed since she'd crawled in with Addy.

"Did you go to town to buy a dress?" Addy brushed Rosie's blonde hair out of her face.

"No, um, Astra gave one to me." she stretched, yawning widely. Again, the tray of food at

the end of the bed was utterly undisturbed.

''Wow, that's so nice of her."

''It's really pretty. I'm wearing it to Christmas, too, Mom already said I can."

Usually Addy and her mother wore different dresses to the dual December balls, Addy's birthday and Christmas. This was so that they'd have something extra to auction for the initiatives that they each patronized, America and her women's clinics, and Addy and her animal shelters. However, when it came to the rest of the Schreave family, America liked for them to recycle gowns and tuxedos whenever possible in order to keep costs down. No five-year-old, however royal and adorable, needed two elaborate ball gowns in one month.

"I can't wait to see it, Buddy, I'll bet it looks _so_ pretty. Astra's really good at picking out the best dresses."

''Mhmm." Rosie was now dividing her attention between Addy, thoughts of her new gown, and the delicious-smelling bread that she spied at the far end of the bed. "Um, is that for snack?"

"Yes. Bridget brought it for us. One soup for you, one for me, and fresh bread to share."

Rosie licked her lips, "Okay."

Bridget emerged from the bathroom bearing a pitcher of water that she used to fill the two cups of ice sitting on the tray next to the bowls of soup.

"Join me for a floor picnic?" Addy offered with a smile. It had been too long since she'd had a floor picnic with one of her little siblings.

Rosie clapped her tiny hands excitedly, "Yes! Oh, Addy, you have the _best_ birthday!"

As Addy began the process of getting ready for her ball, various family members trickled in and out to welcome her home. Jamesy came in and kicked back on her bed, content to hear about what final exams at a real, live university had been like. Later, Maisy popped in, but just to borrow an especially beautiful palette of eyeshadow while wishing Addy a happy birthday. Aunt Kenna came in and pressed copious kisses to Addy's forehead, dodging the enormous hot rollers in which Addy's hair was now stacked high on her head. Aunt Kenna was at _least_ as rueful as Maxon or America at her " _baby_ bird" growing up "so fast".

In between visitors, it was especially nice to catch up with Bridget. Addy loved to sit back and listen to the tails and trials of Bridget's mostly normal, only slightly famous life. She missed traveling with Addy and now filled her days helping out with Rosie, who would not have her own maid for a few more years. It was some combination of babysitting, like when she helped Rosie get dressed in the morning (Rosie couldn't reach anything hanging in her closet by herself) and teaching (how to fold towels, tie shoe laces, or properly brush teeth).

On days when America and Maxon were keeping Lief and Rosie with them, Bridget had a lot of down time. She'd volunteer to go to town and place Palace orders with merchants or pass the time in the kitchens helping the cooks and occasionally learning the tips and tricks only a seasoned, professional chef would know. For their part, the chefs humored her, answering questions about why certain doughs needed to be chilled, or how hot a pan should be for sautéing vegetables.

Although she generally enjoyed her time at the Palace, her day-to-day life was very different without Addy around. "Honestly, Princess, I'm kind of jealous of you. I think I would have loved going to university when I was your age." Bridget expertly buffed Addy's fingernails.

"Maybe you still could. I know you've saved almost all of your salary since you started working here." Addy suggested.

"I don't have any academic record," Bridget reminded her, "I've never been formally educated. You have to have grades— good, bad, or otherwise— to go to any university."

Bridget was only three years older than Addy, but that meant that she'd grown up during the final phase-out of the caste system. She was a hybrid, culturally speaking; she'd spent her childhood with a number attached to her birth certificate, but had been truly free for her teen years and now into her young adulthood.

Bridget reminded Addy strongly of her Aunt May. Both had charismatic, magnetic personalities and were absolutely gorgeous. Both knew as much about fashion and makeup as that museum curator from the night before had known about Ancient Egypt. And sitting here, having her nails buffed and polished, it occurred to Addy for the first time that neither Aunt May nor Bridget had been tutored or schooled beyond what their parents had had the time to teach them.

"We're going to have an entire generation of well-educated citizens come of age in about... ten or fifteen years, thanks to my mom's education initiatives…" Addy mused, "They'll be more qualified for most jobs than their parents are."

"Surely having an extra decade of experience will keep the older people competitive." Bridget suggested.

"Maybe, it'll all depend on other market factors. But either way, education programs for people like you could be really helpful in preventing a massive economic upheaval…"

Bridget giggled, "You're _such_ a future Queen. I was only lamenting how I'll never get to sit in a philosophy class and ogle the cute boys. I didn't mean to get you thinking about economic upheaval.''

At the mention of cute boys, Addy's mind flew of its own accord to Martin.

"Honestly, economic upheaval is easier to understand than cute boys…" Addy muttered.

"Uh-oh." Bridget smiled knowingly. For all her lamentations about missing out on university boys, she'd been in a stable relationship with the same boyfriend for nearly a year. "Are _you_ having boy problems, your Highness? That doesn't sound like you."

"It's not _boy_ problems. It's English Prince Problems." Addy scowled.

"Oh, him." Bridget nodded sympathetically, "I did hear something about that."

Addy blushed scarlet, "Wow, the Palace gossip machine works fast."

"It's nothing like that." Bridget reassured her, "It's just that his bedroom was all made up, and it was on the third floor with your family, which is a big deal… and now the maids are un-making the room. So we know he won't be here. There's no gossip about why, I promise."

Addy wished they'd waited a little longer to put away the linens and close the curtains again, but she didn't exactly know why until a heartbeat later. Then she couldn't help but roll her eyes at herself. She realized that a part of her, a secret part she hadn't even noticed, had been holding out hope that Luke might change his mind.

But how would that work, exactly? He was halfway across the ocean by then. What was he going to do? Turn the whole plane around? It wouldn't have enough jet fuel to get all the way back to Angeles, anyway. Besides, she didn't need some grand romantic gesture when they were just friends. The only gesture she needed was a proper apology, and that could be done by phone.

"Good." was all Addy said out loud.

She clearly wasn't fooling at all Bridget, who was now smiling at her sympathetically as she moved to begin Addy's make up. "Do you want to talk about it, your Highness?"

Addy sighed, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation as Bridget gently massaged moisturizer into Addy's face and neck, "I just... I'm not good at doing what Luke wants me to do anymore. When we were little, we consulted on everything; what to have for snack, what game to play in the tree house… but now, I make all of my decisions for myself, and it's making him grumpy."

"Grumpy enough to leave the country?" Bridget cocked a perfectly stenciled eyebrow.

"I guess he isn't totally loving every decision I've made for myself." Addy swallowed hard.

 _"You?"_ Bridget couldn't even imagine what studious, altruistic Addy could have done to enrage mild-mannered Prince Lucas in the way Addy claimed she'd done.

Addy studied Bridget's face thoughtfully as the maid carefully concealed the discoloration around Addy's eyes. Who else could Addy talk to about last night?

Not Astra, who had only just accepted the abstract idea of Addy dating Martin. Not Kile or Meri, whose dads were supposed to literally jump between Addy and danger when the circumstances arose. They'd be pretty upset that Addy had flaunted their fathers' sacrifices by sneaking out. Jamesy and Maisy would understand, but it was hard to imagine that they'd be thrilled. Plus, talking to her younger siblings about her love life? She shuddered at the thought.

Addy supposed she could call Lenore, but Lenore wouldn't understand, would think Addy was a moron with a death wish, _and_ would be annoyed at the phone call, all at once.

But Bridget... Bridget was sworn to _Addy's_ service, not Maxon's or America's or the monarchy's or anything like that, so Bridget could keep Addy's secrets, even from the King and Queen. Not to mention, Bridget _would_ keep Addy's secrets from everyone, because she was loyal and she genuinely cared for Addy. And Bridget was young, she had experience with boys, and she knew from close observation about the pressures of Addy's royal life. If Addy couldn't confide this in Bridget, then there truly was no one else in the world.

"So... Um," Addy glanced at the closed door to her bedroom, then met Bridget's inquisitive look, "Martin took me on a special date last night, to celebrate my birthday and the end of the semester and everything. That's why Luke's mad."

Bridget looked skeptical, "That's it? Because you went on a date with the boy you've had feelings for all semester?"

Addy sighed, "Well, I guess not... the thing is, the date was the most perfect thing, it was thoughtful and exciting and fun and—"

"Princess, are you saying you think Prince Lucas is mad at you for having a nice date? That doesn't make any more sense than your first reason."

For just the slightest sliver of a moment, Addy grumbled in her mind, thinking about how Natalia, America's head of household and personal maid, would never _dream_ of speaking to America like Bridget had just spoken to Addy.

She caught herself mid-snobbery, though, knowing that this conversation was exactly what she'd wanted from Bridget. "No, you're right, it's not that." Addy admitted, checking the doorway again, just in case. "Bridge, the date was at the natural history museum, and the guards don't know I went." she whispered the last part.

Bridget lowered the blender she was using to perfect Addy's concealer, mouth agape. "You... You _snuc_ _k_ _o_ _ut_?" she mouthed the words, eyes round.

"Bridget, it was amazing! I put on this costume and used a fake name and it was like I was a different person! No one knew me. I rode in the front seat of Martin's car! Bridget, no one ever told me how amazing it is to look out the windshield! It's this massive window, and you can see everything in front of you, and it wasn't tinted dark or bulletproof, so the colors... even at night… Bridget, they were _s_ _o_ _be_ _autiful_. Illéan highway signs are _beautiful."_ Addy paused for breath and Bridget took Addy's hands, pure aching sympathy in her eyes.

"It sounds wonderful."

Addy let out the tiniest puff of air, relieved to be understood. "It was the best night of my whole life."

"Princess, you can't ever do that again. It's a _miracle_ nobody recognized you."

Hot defensiveness flared in Addy's chest, "It's not a miracle, Bridge, it was careful planning."

"There's no amount of planning anyone could do that would even come close to what General Leger, Commander Woodwork, Officer Rivers, and your father have done. Unless your boyfriend was planning this since before you were born?"

Addy scowled, her chest collapsing in on itself like a blackhole. Not even Bridget was on her side. Her expression must have shown her discontent, because Bridget pulled up the chair from Addy's desk so that they could face each other on the same level and said, "So, the museum? In the middle of the night?"

Addy remained frowning as she sulked, "It was a special event. Only University students and doctorate level expert curators were there. No one took my picture all night I got to spend as much time as I wanted with the mummies, _and_ I got to drink a slurpy that turned my mouth blood red with no Aunt Silvia to 'tsk' at me disapprovingly."

"Blood red mouth, huh? Sounds romantic." Bridget smirked.

Addy felt her ire begin to thaw at the gentle teasing, "It was. With Martin, just doing fun things together becomes romantic. We don't have to be somewhere fancy and wearing nice clothes... I can have red teeth and a dumb fake nose ring, and I still feel beautiful."

Bridget poured one of Addy's foundations onto the back of her hand, adding a squirt from a different bottle to get the perfect shade and glow. "Princess—"

Addy knew from her tone that she was about to say something negative. "Bridget, he gave me a night dedicated to _me_ and my simple, impossible dreams. He made me feel, for the first time since I was born, like my life might not have to take place behind bulletproof glass or within range of a guard. I mean, honestly, what's the difference between me and a prisoner except their guards are there to protect society, and my guards are here to protect me?"

Bridget arched an eyebrow her way and even to her own ears, Addy knew she sounded melodramatic and adolescent. She just chose not care.

Bridget dipped the foundation brush into the blend she'd just made and said, "He makes you happy. That's _wonderful_. He makes ordinary, mundane things feel amazing.

That's a great sign." Addy smiled, even though she knew Bridget was about to say something negative to offset the two positive things she'd just said.

"But Princess, university is a special, singular time for you. He makes going to a museum into a grand romantic gesture, but in your usual Palace life, it would be incredibly grand, if not impossible, wouldn't it? Does he make you feel excited and beautiful and all of that when you're in a boring budget meeting or hours into a security briefing? That's what's mundane in _your_ life. Your 'normal' can't be sneaking out and drinking a slurpy. The _whole_ game changes when you're a princess again. I'm not saying Martin can't play that game, I just want you to keep that in mind, that's all I'm saying."

Addy had to work to keep herself from frowning as Bridget blended in Addy's foundation. Finally, Addy said, "Giving him the chance to prove himself would mean bringing him here. To my family, to Uncle Aspen, to Palace gossip…"

"Probably so." Bridget agreed.

"He's thoughtful and kind and smart, he'd fit in just fine... but that's... that would be too big a step, too soon."

"Oh, I see." Bridget said dramatically, teasing Addy again, "So you'll put the future of the monarchy in jeopardy for him by sneaking away from your guards—"

"Bridget..." Addy complained as her maid concluded, "But it's 'too soon' to invite him over for dinner—"

They both fell silent as Bridget began delicately sculpting Addy's face with bronzers and highlighters, both smirking at each other.

" _Okay_ ," Addy finally allowed, "If I'm not ready to bring him home, then I'm not ready to put my life in his hands. I hear you."

Bridget smiled cheerfully, blowing a kiss at Addy to avoid damaging the fresh makeup.

Addy sighed, rolled her eyes, and grumbled, "Why couldn't Luke have just said _that_ instead of yelling and slamming doors and leaving the country?"

Bridget shook her head, "You know why. Prince Lucas is a lot more vulnerable in all of this than I am, I'm sure it clouds his vision."

"What are you talking about?" Addy had never told her in any detail about Luke's last birthday, and the kiss that almost was.

Bridget met Addy's gaze incredulously, "Prince Lucas has looked at you like you personally put the sun in the sky every morning since the day you were born."

Addy shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "How is that _my_ fault?"

"It's _not_. Not at all." Bridget rushed to reassure her, "But what did you learn in your science lessons? If you really want an answer to your question, you'll take all of the information into consideration, won't you?"

"Yes." Addy groused. "But Luke has a girlfriend."

"He can't stop caring about you like his affection is some kind of faucet." Bridget pointed out, but it was totally unnecessary. If emotions were that easy to control, Addy would have squashed her crush on Luke a long time ago.

"Even so... It... It really hurts that he's not here…" Addy wanted to elaborate, but the more she thought about how, overnight, something had come between her and one of her oldest, closest friends so severely that Luke had disappeared for a _month_ , the thicker the lump in her throat felt, until words became impossible and not crying trails into her makeup over some dumb prince became the only thing that mattered.

"I know it does, Princess." Bridget frowned, "The two of you will patch things up soon. You just need a little time and space. Try to enjoy tonight, you really do deserve to have a fun birthday party."

Addy nodded, reminding herself that Luke's anger would blow over, and they'd probably emerge from this as better friends because they were getting this chance to put up new personal boundaries with each other. In the long run, that would be really good and healthy.

With that in mind, she forced all thoughts of Lucas out of her head and let herself be consumed by the lavish, extravagant Palace ball being thrown in her honor.

* * *

Addy was the last to enter the Great Room that night. Maxon and America entered first, then Jamesy with Maisy, then Lief with Rosie. The youngest Schreaves were especially excited because they'd never gotten to enter a ball on their own before. They always had to hold a grownup's hand, usually an aunt or uncle. This time, Lief got to offer Rosie his arm, just like they'd seen their daddy offer their mommy a thousand times, and they both milked it for all it was worth. As this was an official royal ball, the entire family was wearing their crowns, and this added tenfold to the adorableness of Lief and Rosie's grand entrance.

Addy's first three dances were with her family. First her father, then Jamesy, and then Lief. Addy noted, with bittersweetness, that both of her little brothers were taller now than they had been several months before, when she'd moved out of the Palace. Even so, Lief was still too short to properly waltz with Addy, so the two of them swayed and twirled around instead.

It was only after the family dances that Addy truly felt Luke's absence. Now was when she would have danced with any male foreign dignitaries in attendance, and her father would have danced with the female ones. This was supposed to be her dance with Luke. She'd even asked her mom to plan it so that Luke's favorite song would be playing when they danced. Now that Luke wasn't here, and there were no other foreign dignitaries in attendance, Addy was supposed to dance with any of the advisers, governors, or other Illéan honored guests.

Addy saw the exact moment the men in the room noticed that she wasn't paired up, the moment they all, as one, leant toward her to claim the next dance for their own. Addy could have kicked herself for not making a plan to avoid this sooner. She'd been so busy trying not to think about Luke that she'd completely forgotten to find a substitute dance partner.

Though none of these men wanted to hurt her, all of them wanted something from her, and it was a scary couple of seconds. Then, from Addy's right side, Xavier Avery stepped forward confidently and bowed deeply, as if they'd planned it all along.

Addy had known Xavier for as long as she could remember. He came to the Palace for major events, like Easter and Christmas, but she'd spotted him and his mother playing in the gardens or swimming in one of the pools a few times every year. Apparently, his father had been on Addy's parents' personal guard detail, and had died saving Maxon's life. Addy only knew a little about it, it had all happened before she was born, but she knew that her parents were obsessed with this boy in particular, and making sure he had everything he needed. They'd recently given him a scholarship to go to a local trade school and learn the skills to become an electrical engineer.

Addy's expression was polite and friendly as she accepted his hands and they began to dance, but on the inside she was wilting with relief. Xavier was a few years older than Addy, as far as she knew, but he totally eclipsed her in height. Even so, he used his long arms to good effect, and Addy settled into the dance comfortably.

"Thanks." She whispered to him when she was turned away from the cameras.

"It's my honor, your Highness. I hope that you had a very happy birthday."

Addy thought about the exam that she was sure she'd done well on, and the telephone call from her parents at 6:18 in the evening, her exact birthday, and then the fantastic birthday date with Martin, and now the enormous Palace ball, expertly planned by her mother, Aunt Silvia, and Aunt Marlee… "It's been really, really great."

"I'm glad." he spun her out, and when she returned he said, "After this dance, you should go over to your friends." Xavier nodded his head to the edge of the dance floor, and sure enough, Kile, Astra, and Meri were standing there, watching closely. "They can shield you for a couple of dances until Lady Marlee can reorganize your dance card for you. That'll keep the vultures from pecking you to death for the rest of the evening."

Addy peeked at the various dignitaries around the room and nodded. She'd have to dance with a few of the stuffy old men, but it also counted as fulfilling her hosting duties if she danced with Gavril or Mr. Evander, her father's close advisers. She knew she could talk her Aunt Marlee into letting her spend a dance on her Uncle James, too. All combined, it would be a pretty painless part of the evening before dinner and cake. "You've got a mind for strategy, Avery."

"I'm told it runs in the family." he winked.

"Well, obviously if the Palace ever needs an electrical engineer, you'll be the first we call. But it's a pity you won't be at hand to help us plot battle strategies and diplomacy in the mean time."

Avery shrugged and glanced past Addy to where his mother stood near a table, sipping wine. "It's a life in the private sector for me, Princess. That being said, if Illéa needs an electrical engineer, I'll serve my country honorably." he joked.

"You're tall, I'd imagine you could change most of the lightbulbs in the Palace without a ladder." Addy suggested, teasing.

Avery wore a feigned look of distress, "Electrical engineering is _not_ changing lightbulbs, why do I keep having to tell people that?" he joked.

"What a shame, you were born to change lightbulbs." Addy giggled. "You're wasting a natural gift." she gestured to his towering height.

"I mean, obviously I still change lightbulbs _sometimes_."

"Oh, do you?"

"Yeah, every time one burns out, I put another one in."

"That's a relief." Addy didn't even know why they were dragging on her pathetic teasing about his trade like this, but it had them both absurdly entertained.

"What do _you_ do when a bulb burns out, Princess?"

"Oh, Palace lightbulbs never burn out."

"What?" Xavier laughed in surprise.

"They wouldn't dare. It would dishonor Illéa."

This bit of improv had them both biting their lips to keep from making idiots of themselves as cameras clicked away. It wasn't until the song was over and Addy was enjoying a glass of cold water, buffered by Kile, Astra, and Meri, that Addy realized the extent of the gift Xavier Avery had given her. They'd been so busy chattering that she'd completely forgotten to feel sad that Luke wasn't there to dance with her to his favorite song. She'd barely even heard the music.

* * *

Addy danced until her feet ached, and then she danced some more. Gavril was an especially fine dancer, and she did her best to impress him (but he was impressed by absolutely everything she'd ever done, so this was an easy task). She even got to dance with Uncle Aspen, who wouldn't stop going on about how she was "the image" of her mother at her age. She supposed, now that she was seventeen, she was about the same age as the girl in those videos of her father's Selection. She knew her mother had become Queen at her age, and Addy could easily imagine being Queen. It would be difficult, but she could probably keep the country functioning. But what she couldn't possibly imagine was being married. Being a wife, at her age? The idea made her giggle. She was glad she had a few more years to figure it all out.

At the end of the night, when the dignitaries were gone and the friends and family were exhausted, America and Maxon had their hands full with getting a cranky, over-tired Lief and Rosie wound down and in bed, and Maisy and Jamesy both had lessons the next morning to prepare for. Since Luke wasn't there, Addy didn't have any foreign guests to take care of, making sure they were settled in and comfortable, so she ended up wandering through the gardens with Aunt May, the only member of the royal family with no work or lessons or children to worry about.

"So…" Aunt May was clearly eager to talk about something, she was not the subtlest member of Addy's family.

Addy checked that the skirts of her navy blue ball gown weren't dragging in the dirt. When she was satisfied that her dress was safe, she studied her aunt's face carefully.

Warily, with a sense of what Aunt May would want to talk about, Addy tried to evade the conversation, "Hey yourself. You and Uncle Ry took all the attention from me during my own birthday party. Don't think I didn't notice." she teased.

Aunt May rolled her eyes, unconcerned, "Tabloids are always speculating about us. It's how they sell their magazines and pay their bills. It's a full-time industry. Your brothers and sisters will know how it feels in a few years, once you're Queen."

Addy didn't like the idea of tabloids intruding in their lives, but she tried not to worry about it too much. They'd have Aunt May and Uncle Gerad to teach them how to deal with it all.

"What do they want from you?"

"Mostly? They want me to make babies or get in a huge fight with Ry or gain weight uncontrollably or become addicted to alcohol. They want to tell a gripping story, and my name and picture are just the avatars they use to tell it."

"Are they ever right? Are you making babies and fighting and gaining weight and addicted to alcohol?" Addy laughed.

"Only on the weekends." Aunt May winked.

"I'm so glad they don't print that nonsense about me." Addy winced at the thought.

"Getting ready to rule a country is complicated enough." Aunt May agreed. "Not to mention school…" She paused dramatically, eyeing Addy excitedly, "And _boys_."

Addy sank onto the bench across from the tree castle, resigned to her fate. This had clearly been eating at Aunt May all evening, "Who told you? Was it Astra?"

"It was your mother."

" _What?"_ Addy was genuinely surprised, "How did she know?"

"You told your father, didn't you? Do you think there's anything in the whole world he would hide from your mother? Come on, kid, you know better than that."

"Fine. Rookie mistake." Addy sighed, "What did she tell you?"

"That there's a _boy_. That you like him enough to be thinking about the future. You were worried about your Selection. Is it really that serious?"

"No! I just wanted to know my options. He's really good, Aunt May, and I didn't want to lead him on if there was no hope."

"But there's hope?" Aunt May asked breathlessly.

"Yeah… there's hope." Addy said, thinking about what her father had told her in this very garden. He was willing to personally place Martin in Addy's Selection so that they could be together, if that's what Addy wanted. "So, we'll see what happens. I still have a couple of years to figure it all out."

"Do you love him?"

"Maybe." Addy admitted. She'd never said that out loud before, and it was a kind of thrilling. "A little."

"A little? What do you mean?" Aunt May was surprised.

"I… I've never done this before, I don't know how it's supposed to be," Addy said, in defense of herself, "But I love spending time with him, and he's constantly surprising me with his ideas and his actions. I know we don't have what Mom and Dad have, but we still have _something_."

"Oh, sweetheart," Aunt May sat beside her, taking a moment to gather her skirts so that she'd even fit on the bench, "It's good that you recognize that. Your mom and dad didn't have what they have now, back when they first met. A relationship like that takes years to build. It's good that you don't think you're there yet with this boy, it means you're seeing things clearly."

"What did my Mom and Dad have before enough time had passed?"

Aunt May scrunched her face a little in thought, and even scrunched, she was the prettiest woman in the world. "Passion, but not trust." she finally diagnosed. "After the Selection, your mom told me what it had been like to fall in love with a Prince who was simultaneously dating dozens of other women."

"I can see how trust would be hard to come by in a situation like that."

"They had to take a leap of faith, agreeing to marry each other, and then they built the trust later." Aunt May agreed. "Maybe this way, getting to date your boy now, you can build trust before the Selection. Maybe it'll make things smoother for you."

Addy rubbed the back of her neck in a gesture startlingly reminiscent of Maxon, "Maybe. But, Aunt May, I don't know if I want to marry this boy or not. I mean, marriage just seems so far away. I still feel ridiculous even thinking about it."

Aunt May nodded her understanding, but when she spoke, her tone was hesitant, "Adrienne, you made a deal with the people of Illéa. They're leaving you alone at school, letting you have this time and space, and in return, you're going to host a Selection and then have the wedding of the century. You're going to have to be young when that happens, you don't have a choice."

"Sure, but I still have a couple of years." Addy pointed out.

Aunt May took a moment to figure out how to say what she was trying to say, "Bird, do you feel older today than you did a few days ago?"

"…No."

"But you are. You're seventeen now, you were sixteen then. And, though you'll have more experiences and knowledge in two years than you have now, I promise that nineteen won't feel substantially different than seventeen does. You're not going to magically be perfectly ready for your Selection or marriage or children or any of it. Yourself in the future is just like yourself today, but with a few more university exams under her belt."

"What are you saying?" Addy asked, shaking her head in confusion. "That I need to be ready to marry Martin today?"

"No." Aunt May laughed, then raised her eyebrows, "I like that name. Martin. That's your boy's name?"

Addy nodded, grinning, liking the the thought of Martin as 'her boy'.

"It's a good name for a consort." Aunt May wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, then shook her head and focused, "I'm just trying to say that the future doesn't hold perfect clarity. At some point, you're just going to have to make a choice. You'll choose Martin or you won't, but don't count on having a sudden and miraculous epiphany to tell you what to choose. It'll be a leap of faith, just like your mom and dad took."

Addy bit her lip, "Leap of faith, huh?"

"There won't be scientific evidence or hard proof, like you usually look for when you're making choices. It'll be a gamble. That's all I want you to know."

"I think maybe putting Martin in my Selection would be good. It'll let me see him in my world. If he's in the group of Selected and he does a good job with the tasks I set them, and I already know how much I like him, then I know he'd be the best bet for my gamble." Addy linked an arm through her aunt's and took her hand, "What would you do if you were me? Would you marry the first boy you ever dated?"

Aunt May lolled her head on her shoulder and groaned, "Sweetie, you don't want to know who I'd be married to if I'd married the first person I ever dated. I'm sure your Martin is a way more suitable choice."

"Was it that bad?"

"Worse. The moment I turned sixteen and Grandma started letting me date, I went a little crazy with power."

Addy grinned, "I need stories."

"No, you certainly do not."

"Teach me! I need to know so I don't make your mistakes." Addy pretended to plead.

Aunt May glared at her, and then, after a long moment, relented. "Fine."

Addy clapped her hands together and then leant her head on Aunt May's shoulder, ready to be regaled with tales of professional skateboarders and movie stars and singers from boy bands that broke apart before Addy was even born.

* * *

Addy spent her break on a semi-vacation. She still took a few meetings with her parents, but she also slept in and played toys with Lief or challenged Jamesy to a board game or went on a morning jog with Maisy. Being home was unbelievably nice. She didn't have to find her own food, and there was always a Schreave, an Aunt or Uncle (blood related or not), or a friend to spend time with. The weeks passed by in a haze of hot chocolate, library books, and laughter.

Christmas eve saw the entire Singer family all united at the Palace; Magda, Kenna and James, Astra, Leo, and Rogan, May and Ryland, and Gerad were all together in the family room with the Schreaves. It was rare that every single one of them were sitting in the same room outside of the public eye, and it was the happiest Addy had seen her mother in ages.

Christmas day would pass without the Singer side of the family until after dinner, when the ball would begin, and Addy was looking forward to helping her mother coordinate everything throughout the day. She was also looking forward to the looks on Rosie's and Lief's faces the next morning when it was time to open presents. She was looking forward to giving her parents their university mugs and seeing what they did with them. Drink from them right away? Use them to hold pens?

Addy had just finished properly wrapping the gifts she'd brought when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in." Addy called, gathering her wrapped presents in her arms, ready to drop them off at the Christmas tree in the family room.

Maxon walked in wearing a suit. Addy wilted at the sight. He'd managed to stay out of a suit all day, a casual dad in slacks and a soft sweater, but now he was fully dressed.

"Did something happen?" Addy asked, wondering why else her father would be standing in a suit, straightening a tie, at 11:00 at night.

"It's a developing situation. I wanted to see if you'd like to accompany me?"

"What is it?"

"A call from a world leader, a strategy session with some advisers. I've missed having you with me, truth be told, and this is the type of problem we don't encounter very often. This might by the only chance you'll have to observe before you're Queen."

"Okay, let me get dressed. Will you put these under the tree for me?" Addy handed the wrapped gifts to Maxon, who studied the boxes in his arms.

"You brought us presents?" he asked, eager.

"Nothing life changing." Addy promised, but Maxon didn't seem to care. He was just so excited to have a surprise for the morning.

While he was gone, Addy slid into one of her red suit dresses, hurrying into a spare pair of hose and then slipping on a pair of heels. She brushed her hair and tied it back in as neat a bun as she could manage and then hurried after her dad.

As soon as they were off of the third floor, they were flanked by junior advisers updating her father on the situation. Addy could tell from context that something was happening in New Asia.

When they arrived in Maxon's office, Mr. Evander was already there, along with Lady Elise Whisks-Lemex and an official translator. Addy took a spare seat in the corner and watched, quietly. What happened next was a short phone call with the emperor of New Asia, with long pauses for translation and advice on both ends of the call. The emperor thanked Maxon for taking his call at such a late hour, shared some information on a developing situation regarding some kind of rebel forces, something about a weather report that Addy didn't fully understand. Why were they talking about the weather? And it ended with Maxon inviting the emperor and empress to visit in person so that they could both give the matter their full attention.

When the call ended, Lady Elise and Mr. Evander helped Addy's dad assemble a list of close allies to contact. It was the standard list— England, Italy, the German Federation— but it also included the Russian Federation and the Ethiopian Empire. When they were done and Maxon had given them instructions to carry out, they broke for the night.

Lady Elise paused for a moment to wish Addy a happy birthday and ask her how she liked university. Addy couldn't get the image of the young Lady Elise from the videos of her father's Selection out of her mind. She'd never thought of the sharp, quick-witted Lady Elise as a teenager before watching that footage.

Finally, when it was just Addy and Maxon again, Maxon stood and motioned for Addy to do the same.

"Take a seat." he motioned to his own chair behind the desk.

Addy gulped. She always felt nervous when her father put her in the hot seat like this. She sat in his chair, scooted it closer to the desk because her legs were shorter than his, and then folded her hands in her lap.

"Alright, Bird. You're the Queen, I'm your adviser." Maxon said. The last time he'd taught her like this, it had been a domestic economics lesson. Now it appeared to be some kind of foreign policy. Addy had been learning about foreign relations all semester in her seminar, she wanted to try to impress her father. Then again, Swendway had become her specialty, she hadn't learned as much about New Asia. She was halfway to biting her lip nervously before she stopped herself, straightened her shoulders, and took a steadying breath instead.

Maxon continued, reaching across the desk to produce a map of New Asia and set it before her, "The region we're concerned with is east of the Chengdu province, here." he pointed to show Addy the area. "This place is usually a fertile valley ensconced entirely by rugged mountainous terrain. The runoff from melting snow usually makes for good farming. The citizens in this area are rural, disconnected from the rest of New Asia except through the treacherous mountainous paths that lead out to cities to the north and east." he pointed. "The best count we have is that there are more than three thousand people in the valley, but less than ten."

"There isn't more exact census data?"

"The last census was nearly twenty years ago, so that's as close as we can estimate."

"What's the problem?" Addy asked. "Something about the weather? Or rebels?"

"Both, your Majesty."

Addy's gut twisted hearing her father's title used on herself. She'd rather be a Highness any day.

"This is a crisis several years in the making. In the mountains surrounding the valley, the springs and summers have yielded progressively less rainfall, the fall and winter has yielded progressively less snowfall. The overall effect is that there isn't enough runoff from the mountains to water the crops, and village wells are going dry as groundwater evaporates."

"It's a drought?" Addy asked.

"It's a _famine_." Maxon said grimly. Addy scrunched her eyebrows in thought, and Maxon prompted her, "Think back to your lessons. What does it take to make a famine?"

This wasn't something from university, this was something from her lessons before. Like a vocabulary term she hadn't studied in a while, she fished through her mind for the answer.

After a moment, Maxon answered for her, "To make a famine, it takes drought plus conflict."

"Drought plus conflict." Addy repeated, and then said it one more time to help it stick in her mind, "Drought plus conflict equals famine. So the rebels… that's the conflict?"

"They've taken over the three main thoroughfares into the valley, they're armed to the teeth, and they've instituted a kind of martial law. All attempts by the New Asian government to send aid into the region have to pass through roads controlled by rebels, who seize the food and supplies and send the majority of it to other villages they've taken over."

"They have other villages?"

"As I said, this is a problem that's been building for several years now. There have been a few villages overtaken, but none of them were experiencing a draught, so the challenge is different. New Asian soldiers have been working on de-escalating the situation and have not attempted to engage in combat because of the risk to civilian life. This is different. The thousands of civilians in this valley are now starving."

Addy stared at the map as if it might come up with a solution on its own. "What did the emperor ask for?"

"Tactical support and food aid."

"We should give it."

"Yes, we should." Maxon agreed. "But how do we make sure that the food we give doesn't go straight into the mouths of violent rebels? And tactical support means Illéan troops. That means our soldiers, Illéan lives on the line. They deserve a clear mission with a defined exit strategy."

Addy nodded, "Their mission is to liberate the valley?"

"Is it?" He asked her, lifting an eyebrow. She'd said her idea as if it was a question, and he wanted her to speak with authority.

"Yes. They will liberate the valley and then return it to New Asian control."

"How do we know that if we send troops and they liberate the valley, that rebels won't immediately retake the valley? They're fed and armed, and they want the territory."

"We have to eliminate the rebels. If the emperor had shown force when the first village was taken, the rest of this wouldn't have happened. We could have easily sent aid into the valley, and it wouldn't be a famine. Just a drought."

"That might be right, but the emperor was attempting to save innocent lives by refusing to turn those villages into war zones. There are men, women, and children alive today who wouldn't be if it wasn't for that decision."

"But they're having to live under rebel control."

"But they're _alive_." Maxon said pragmatically.

Addy leant back in her dad's chair and took a deep breath. "So we can't eliminate the rebels without killing innocent people in the villages."

"Yes."

"But if we don't eliminate the rebels, innocent people will starve in the valley."

"Yes."

Addy narrowed her eyes at the map, "If we eliminate the rebels, we will have to send soldiers, and some of them will likely die."

"Yes."

"The emperor wants us to do that."

"He's asked for our help, yes."

Addy slumped in the chair. "It's in New Asia's best interest to put an end to the rebels, to stabilize the region."

"Yes." Maxon agreed simply.

"Economically speaking, they're a valuable trading partner. What's in their best interest is in our best interest."

"Exactly right. And, it's worth mentioning that it wasn't so long ago that Illéa was asking for foreign help in handling our own rebel problem. If there had been a major drought at the same time, it's hard to fathom how difficult our lives would have been."

"We have to take the rebels out." Addy said grimly. "If we don't, they could grow stronger. They threaten New Asian security and prosperity, which makes them a threat to us."

"Even though we'll have to send troops? Even though they may die, and the mission may take years, rooting out all the rebel sources?"

"Yes." she said, with as much authority as she could muster at nearly midnight on Christmas eve.

Maxon nodded and leant back in his own chair, dropping the 'adviser' facade. "Alright, my Bird. I happen to agree. I hope this mission will be executed quickly, but it's likely that you'll inherit the the tail end of it. I'm glad you see things my way, but I want you to know that I would have given your perspective serious consideration if you hadn't. This will all be yours in only a few more years, and I'm trying to be mindful of what kind of queen you'll want to be."

Addy gulped, nerves rattled. She'd just made a major military decision for the very first time, and her father was doing what she'd decided to do. Illéan soldiers would be in harm's way, away from their families, some might never come home again, and it was all because of the choice she'd just made. "Does this make me a warmongering queen?" Addy asked.

"I don't think so. New Asia is an ally, and we need to defend them whenever we can."

"Even when they make dumb decisions like letting rebels overrun their villages?" Addy groused.

"What would you have done differently? Would you have have bombed a town in Midston, knowing you'd be killing hundreds, if not thousands of Illéans?"

Addy felt her irritation at the emperor melt away. "I can't… I don't know, for sure."

Maxon nodded his understanding, "It's rare to have an easy, clear decision with this kind of thing. When there's no obvious right or wrong way, it all feels bad no matter what you choose. As dull as they are, I've come to relish budget meetings. They're a headache, but they don't result in inevitable death."

Addy rested her head on her fist, feeling faintly nauseous. "So the emperor is going to come here?"

"Yes. I'll need you back from University to host, but I'll be sure to plan it for a weekend."

"Yeah, that's no problem. Whatever you need."

"It'll take a while for our liaisons to coordinate everything. I wouldn't expect them until late February."

"Okay."

"Are you alright, Addy?"

"Yeah." she didn't feel alright. She felt horrible about the situation in New Asia.

"Come on." Maxon stood, walking around the desk to stand next to her and offer her a hand. "Your grandmother made extra 'special bread', she won't begrudge us an extra slice or two." When she stood, he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "I'm proud of you, Bird."

"Thanks, Dad." Addy sighed heavily. "How do you ever fall asleep after making a decision like that?"

Maxon shook his head as he led her off, "It's never easy. When you were a baby, I used to rock you in my arms all night long. I'd use the rocking chair until the pit in my stomach had loosened and we both fell asleep. Now I'm back to pacing the floors. Sometimes I crawl into bed with Lief or Rosie, but I don't usually like to bother them."

Addy glanced up at him as they walked, "Do you ever have days so _good_ you can't sleep?"

"Absolutely! I've brokered peace deals and passed landmark legislation and celebrated your mother's domestic social victories. I've witnessed every single one of my children being born. But Addy, most days are on the pleasant side in between the two extremes, to tell you the truth. Most days, I wake up and get dressed, I sip a cup of coffee and an adviser briefs me on what I need to know. I read top secret information, then a newspaper or two. I sit through a couple of meetings, and then I eat lunch with your mother. Half the time, I get to eat dinner with my family. I'm nearly always at family time after that. I still manage to read a bedtime story to Lief or to Rosie at least twice a week. It's not _all_ famine." he promised her.

Addy couldn't help but notice that all of the things that made her dad's ordinary days happy revolved around their family. Eating lunch with her mom, spending time with her brothers and sisters, it was all about them. Addy thought about Martin and her heart stuttered at the thought of bringing him into this world. Life at the Palace was so challenging, and the bad days were very, very bad. And the regular days would be up to him and their children to brighten and make happy. It seemed like so much to ask. It seemed like _too_ much to ask of anyone.

"I hope I end up with someone who can brighten my day just by eating lunch with me." Addy said. "Otherwise, I'm doomed."

Maxon chuckled and patted her gently on the back. "Oh, sweetheart, I remember those days. I used to think the same thing before I met your mother. You're _not_ doomed. I won't let you be."

And even though Addy was learning that her dad struggled at being King just as much as she would soon struggle at being Queen, hearing those words come from his mouth made everything feel more bearable.


	21. Chapter 20

The winter session at Kings University was startlingly quiet. There were only a handful of students left on her street, and from what Addy could tell, a similarly sparse smattering of students, faculty, and staff throughout the rest of the campus, too. The bakery was all but abandoned, and Addy never had to wait in line for her coffee, but it was also a little too quiet for her to really focus when she tried to study at her favorite table. Though the employees behind the counter were very good at pretending she was just an ordinary customer and not their future queen, she still felt awkward being able to hear every word of their conversations as they passed the time before their shifts ended.

Addy liked going to the same class every single day, though her brain was usually boggled by the end of the three hour lectures. Every few days they had a paper due or a quiz to take, so Addy was just as busy as she was during a normal semester, even though she only had to focus on one subject.

She missed Meri and Kile, she missed Martin and his lips, she even missed Lenore, but there was a special ache in her heart every time she walked past Luke's bedroom. She still hadn't heard from him since their fight. She wondered if he might not regret ever transferring to Kings University. Maybe he was even in negotiations to transfer back to his old school, just so he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. Luckily, her mind was too busy with class work to spend too much time lingering on dark thoughts like those.

One particularly chilly morning, after an early, brisk jog with the guards that had left her lungs feeling grated by the cold air and the rest of her body humming with endorphins, Addy noticed a Palace announcement in the lower corner of a newspaper; Illéan troops were headed to New Asia to help with the rebel crisis. Addy knew it wasn't something the Palace wanted people to be concerned about, given the deemphasized placement on the front page. Though her father had been the one to make the ultimate decision, it still felt as if she'd been the one to put those soldiers in harm's way. Some of them would certainly die over there, though she hoped not many. Addy had a hard time focusing in class that day.

On the bright side, Illéan history was basically a family history class for Addy. The discussions about Gregory Illéa's life before founding their country, including his time at the very university they were currently attending, were the same kinds of discussions Addy had been having with her tutor and the rest of the Palace kid gang for years. Gregory Illéa wasn't a hero in any story told about him anymore, but it was thanks to him that Maxon was the King. Addy knew her daddy liked to daydream about a normal life as a photographer or office manager, but the truth was, if he'd ever been anything but his country's leader, it would have been a waste of his potential. He belonged on that throne, and it was nice to be able to say so to all of her classmates during an academic discussion about the various Kings of Illéa.

They also spent an entire class, three full hours, reviewing the origins of the caste system. Addy knew her own family's history with the system by heart, her grandmother had been a Six, her mother had been a Five, both of them had been extraordinary choices to become Queen given that everybody below a Four was considered a second-class citizen. The more the class discussed the details, including the differences in standard of living, amongst the castes, the more grateful Addy was that her parents had done away with the whole thing. Sure, there were protests about the education system now, but those people protesting had lost sight of the bigger picture. No one was starving, there was adequate medical care for every citizen of Illéa, everyone had an opportunity to find a job they enjoyed and make enough money to provide for their family, and none of that was the case when her parents had been her age.

For homework that night, they were supposed to interview somebody who had lived through the caste system, to record their interview so that it could be added to the University's current collection for future historians to access.

Addy knew that, because she was the heir to the throne, future historians would _definitely_ be interested in whatever interview she conducted. She decided to use a voice recorder and call her grandmother Magda.

"Okay, Grandma, I have four main questions for you."

"And I'm ready for them, Bird." Grandma Magda was excited and flattered to be interviewed for historical records by her most famous grandchild.

"Good. When we learn about the castes now, we learn about how unfair and inefficient they were, but we don't talk about much else. I'm curious, though, was there anything good about it? What was the best part about being a Five?"

There was a pause while Magda considered the question, "You know, Birdy, I really loved the music. I really, really did. I can remember practicing the piano with my grandmother and playing duets with my mother. It was a true joy to teach each and every one of my children how to play, even your Uncle Gerad, though he never learned much beyond a few basic scales. Our caste changed when he was still so young, you know…"

Addy hadn't thought much about how young Uncle Gerad had been when her mother had married her father, but she knew he was different from her other aunts and uncles. He never drew pictures for any of the Schreave children, and he never played music in the family room. As far as Addy knew, he didn't make any kind of art at all. Aunt May was a practiced artist, and she was almost the same age as Uncle Gerad, they'd lived in the caste system for almost the same amount of time. Addy wondered what kind of artist her uncle would have become if push had come to shove and he'd never been able to study medicine. She wondered who would have made the research breakthroughs that he was making, who would have focused so hard on curing their specific genetic heart condition. Would there have been other doctors to take his place? Would they have been as talented as he was? Would they care about heart defects as much as he did?

"It's good that Uncle Gerad had the chance to chose his own path." Addy said.

"That's right. He's happier than I think he ever could have been as an artist. Although, for a brief moment, I thought your father might have turned him onto photography."

"Really?"

"He adores your dad, sweetheart, he's looked up to him since your mother first started boasting about him in interviews during his Selection. Gerad took her at her word, no questions asked." Magda chuckled at the memory. "So, when your uncle Gerad found out how much your dad adores photography, let's just say that he was captivated. He wanted to be just like Maxon in every possible way."

Addy thought about the photographs she'd seen in her father's albums, the ones depicting the earliest days of his reign as king, back when her mother had merely been a princess, not yet married to her father, and so not yet crowned Queen. Uncle Gerad had been little, only Lief's age, when he'd first met Addy's dad.

Addy's stomach swooped, thinking of introducing Lief to her future husband, as she would do sometime in the next few years. Would it be Martin? Would it be someone else? It was easy to imagine Lief idolizing whoever she chose, just like Grandma Magda was saying that Uncle Gerad had. It was a reminder that she had to be very, _very_ careful who she introduced to her siblings. She'd have to keep everyone from her Selection separated from them for as long as possible, so that they wouldn't get their hearts broken when Addy sent nearly every single guy away forever.

"Adrienne? Are you there?" Grandma Magda called through the phone. Addy blushed, realizing she'd been lost in her thoughts a few seconds too long.

"I'm here. Just thinking." Addy cleared her throat, rushing to continue the interview, "Grandma, when we're at home and you talk about before Mom entered Dad's Selection, you talk about some really happy times. Does that mean it wasn't all bad?"

"I don't think you'd find many people willing to say that their lives were 'all' anything, honey." Magda pointed out. "There was real, true happiness in spite of a cruel, terrible public policy. I loved watching your grandfather work. He could make the most breathtaking, beautiful images out of nothing more than a blank paper and a pencil."

Addy knew that her grandfather had been a painter, like Aunt May and Aunt Kenna, but she really only knew that because of the half-finished painting that had hung in the nursery since she'd been born. He'd been in the middle of working on it when he'd died. It was a painting of a redheaded queen, adored by her people, both ethereal and somehow, from the look in her eyes, very earthly at the same time. As a little girl, Addy had figured that it was a painting of herself. The red haired queen had wings and looked almost like she was floating, and Addy was, after all, the Bird of the family. She hadn't even questioned her assumption until she was thirteen, and one day it just dawned on her that, of course, it was a painting of her _mother_. Her grandfather had died without ever knowing that Addy would even exist, how could he have painted her?

For some reason, this realization had hurt her very deeply, in a way that wasn't entirely healed even four years later. Addy'd covered the pain with anger at herself for being so stupid for so long. Of course her grandfather had never painted her, and he never would.

Truth be told, Addy was still jealous of her mother, deep in her heart, that she'd gotten to know Grandpa Shalom and Grandma Amberly, and Addy would never know either of them. Those were two holes in her heart that couldn't be filled by anybody, no matter how enormous Grandma Magda's personality was.

"So…" Addy blinked, bringing herself back to the interview, "The art was a bond? It connected you to your grandmother-"

"Your great, great grandmother." Magda reminded her. "A connection that flows all the way down to the little sketches you send Rosie in the mail."

"Oh Grandma, those aren't art." Addy was hoping to discourage future historians, listening to the recording of this conversation, from seeking out any record of Addy's dumb doodles.

"They most certainly are!" Grandma Magda objected. "The only thing separating your drawings from your Aunt Kenna's or your Aunt May's is a lack of practice. Don't sell yourself short."

"Grandma-" Addy complained, "-This isn't about me. This is about your experiences with the caste system."

"Fine. Just don't, for a moment, think that you wouldn't fit right in with the rest of your artistic ancestors. Your shading reminds me of some of the charcoal sketches your grandfather used to-"

"Grandma," Addy objected. Trying to get Grandma Magda to stop bragging about her grandchildren was like trying to stop a boulder from rolling downhill. The only shot was to interrupt the momentum. "We talked about what was good. What was the hardest part about living under the caste system?"

Grandma Magda was quiet for a moment, then she said, "Hard in what way, Bird?"

"Um... I don't know..."

"Do you mean what was the most frustrating, or challenging, or what was the most painful?"

Addy was taken aback, "Painful?"

Magda sighed heavily, taking her reply for an answer rather than a question, "Birdy, are you sure you want to hear this? Your mother and father have changed everything, it's all different now. Shouldn't that be what the history focuses on?"

"In order to understand my dad's solutions, I need to understand his problems." Addy challenged. "I need to know what he was facing when he became King, that way I can wrap my head around the ways he solved those problems."

"Then surely speaking with him would be-"

"No, Grandma, he was a prince. He didn't live with the system like you did."

Magda took so long to speak that, at first, Addy thought they'd been disconnected. But then Magda said, "Sweetheart, before your father met your mother, there was no food assistance program."

"I know that. It's Dad's flagship initiative." she recited, a lesson from a textbook.

"Think about what that means, honey. There was nowhere for people to go if they didn't have any food to eat, or even if they just didn't have _enough_ food to eat. Keep in mind that the caste structure was like a pyramid. Vastly more people in the lower tiers than the higher ones. We're talking about over half of the Illéan population facing some kind of chronic hunger on a regular basis."

Addy blinked. How had that never occurred to her before? "...Even you?"

"Yes." Grandma Magda said, matter-of-factly.

"...Even _Mom_?"

"Yes." This time, her voice was sympathetic.

Addy's mind was reeling. She tried to imagine what she would have done, with a family of seven people getting by on the money two artists could bring in. She kept coming back to programs that hadn't existed back then. The subsidized daycare centers her mother had pioneered, or the public school system that served children two free, hot meals every day. "What did you do?" Addy asked quietly.

"Our best." Magda replied gently.

"Grandma… Mom never told me."

"I know, honey, she's too stubborn. There's a lot about the world before you were born that she doesn't think will ever be any of your business. She thinks you have more than enough to be getting on with, just handling the world as it exists now."

Addy got through the other two questions she'd prepared for her grandmother in a numb, automatic haze. If there hadn't been castes, what job would Grandma Magda have wanted? The answer was that she only ever wanted to give her children better than what she'd had, so any job that did that would have been a dream come true. And was there any aspect of the caste removal process that wasn't going smoothly, was there anything that the government had overlooked? Grandma Magda had no complaints, but couldn't speak for everyone's experience.

Addy thanked her grandmother and promised to see her at America's birthday ball, then hung up the phone and pressed stop on the audio recording device. She felt like her mind was full of quicksand, she was trying to process what her grandmother had told her about her mother's experience, but as hard as she strained and struggled, she was getting nowhere. She'd known her mother had been a Five, she'd known that meant that the Singers hadn't been wealthy, but she'd never realized that they'd been starving.

Addy's heart raced in her chest, tears sprang to her eyes, and her mouth turned to cotton. She was headed for a meltdown, fast, and she knew that she needed an intervention if she wanted to avoid a full blown anxiety attack.

She picked up the phone and dialed another number. The phone rang several times before America answered.

"Hi sweetheart! How are you doing tonight?"

"Hi Mom. I'm good." Addy said, struggling to make her voice cooperate.

"What can I do for you?"

"I... I don't know. I just wanted to talk. Are you busy?"

"The usual," America's voice had a rueful amusement to it, "But I'm never too busy for you. What's on your mind?"

Addy didn't know what she wanted to say. If she told her mother about the interview, then America would feel like she had to gloss over the truth to make Addy feel better again. She'd never get a straight answer out of her mom, not when it came to life before her father's Selection. And pushing her mother to be more brutally honest would probably only bring back terrible memories and make everything worse now. "Are you doing okay?" Addy asked, finally.

"I'm great. Someone just gifted a bunch of land in Sota to the government, it looks like we might get a new national park out of it if we play our cards right. And there's a beautiful estate on the southern side of the property, it's a breathtaking location for a public library. I'll show you the pictures next time you're home, I think you're going to love it."

"Wow, Mom, that sounds incredible." Addy's tone still wasn't matching her words, but the knot in her chest was starting to ease. "Let me know if you need my help."

"I certainly will." America promised. "So that's why you called? You just wanted to... to check on me?" her voice was skeptical.

Addy picked at one of her fingernails as she figured out how to respond, "I just wanted to catch up."

"It must be hard without Meri or Kile on campus." America guessed at the problem. "I'll bet it's pretty lonely right now."

"No, it's not a big deal. Don't worry about me." Addy hurried to set her mother's mind at ease. "What... um, what did you guys have for dinner?" She just wanted a reminder that her mother wasn't hungry anymore. Maybe that would calm her heart down.

"Sweetheart? Are you sure you're alright?" America asked.

Addy scowled at herself, knowing she wasn't a good enough liar to stop her mother's almost psychic ability to know when something was bothering her. That, combined with her mother's insurmountable stubbornness meant that she wouldn't let up until she knew what was happening. Addy was cornered.

So, she told her mother all about class, about the homework assignment, about the interview with Magda. Addy sniffled and hugged Elephanty tight to her chest as she said, "Mom, I never knew you were starving..."

There was a long sigh on the other end of the telephone. "Did Grandma Magda use that word, honey? Did she say 'starving'?" America asked curiously.

"I... I don't remember, I think maybe she said... 'hungry'."

"There's a big, big difference between 'hungry' and 'starving', don't you think?"

"Yeah." Addy allowed, eager to let her mother take the sharp edge off of her sadness.

"Our lives were never in danger, and most of the time we were fine. We never had leftovers after dinner, but we had enough. It was only sometimes, mostly in between holidays when there was a lull in business, when we went to bed with our stomachs growling."

Addy thought about her aunts and uncle, about her grandmother and the specter of her grandfather. She imagined them like characters in a novel, dressed in rags, smudged with soot, huddled around an open fire pit in the middle of a shack for warmth. She knew her imagination was being dramatic, she'd even been to her mother's childhood home once or twice. It was small, but it wasn't a hovel. It was cozy, comfortable, and it even had a little treehouse in the backyard like at the Palace.

"You know, this is why I never told you about it, Birdy." America said gently. "I knew you wouldn't be able to understand it properly."

"I wish I could... fix it." Addy confessed, feeling helpless.

America giggled, "You are a redheaded Maxon sometimes, do you know that?"

"Maybe." It was a strange compliment.

"When I first told your father what it was like to be hungry, he ran out and started his food assistance program. Just like that."

"Really?" The idea of her dad in the silly, outdated ties he'd worn during his Selection, sprinting off to save the world after hearing her mother's story, was like a cure for her homesickness. It was exactly what she'd expect from him. She smiled.

"I'm sorry to say, he didn't leave much of that particular problem unsolved for you to work on." America told her. "You're just going to have to fix something else. Okay?"

"Okay." Addy promised.

"Good girl." America said approvingly. "Is there anything else you need to hear from me to make you feel better?"

Addy's cheeks burned. She hadn't wanted her mother to realize how close to a meltdown she'd been when she'd called. She'd wanted her mother to think she'd just been calling to check on her, but America hadn't been fooled for a second. "No. Nothing else."

America made an unconvinced sound. Then she said, "Hold on a moment. There's someone who's been asking to talk to you all day long."

Addy waited patiently, pressing her face into Elephanty's soft fur and breathing in the scent of 'home' that was forever seeped into his fabric.

After a moment, Addy could hear shuffling on the other side, and then a sleepy voice on the other end of the line. "Addy?"

It was Rosebud.

Addy smiled, "Buddy, it's so past your bedtime!"

"Mommy came to got me." Rosie yawned. "Um… guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm going to real lessons, I'm going to learn _math_."

Addy gasped, "No way."

"Yes! I wasn't going to go until tomorrow-"

"This fall." America corrected her gently.

"Oh, yeah, this fall, but Miss Alvaraz came to me when I was with Aunt Kenna, and I read her a story from my little book, and she says I can come tomorrow."

"Monday." America reminded her.

Rosie said, "Addy, I'm going to have homework like you. I need markers."

Addy laughed, "What are you talking about, Bud?"

"I need special homework markers just like you."

Addy looked over at the kitchen table, which she'd turned into a study den while she had the whole dormitory to herself. There were several textbooks spread out, as well as pens, pencils, erasers, and highlighters. Addy's mind clicked, "Oh, I know what you mean. The yellow and pink kind?"

"Yes, I need a rainbow of colors."

"Okay Rosie, I'll send you a bunch of highlighters for your homework."

"Good. I knew you could find some." Rosie seemed mollified by this.

"I'm so proud of you, Rosie. You must have worked really hard on learning to read your little book, if Miss Alvaraz thinks you're already ready for lessons."

"I practiced all the time, even to Aunt May." Rosie bragged.

"Good job."

"Lief and me... um... we get to be in the same room as Maisy and Jamesy. They have harder lessons, but sometimes we'll get to play with them and eat lunch together."

"I bet Jamesy and Maisy will like having you there to take some attention." Addy grinned. Ever since their twin cousins, Leo and Rogan, had switched to public school, Jamesy and Maisy had been complaining about the pressure of being the only two Palace kids left in lessons. "Maybe Miss Alvaraz won't have time to ask them as many hard questions if she's busy with you."

America's voice chimed in, "Miss Alvaraz is a world class educator, I wouldn't worry about Jamesy or Maisy not being challenged enough." her voice was teasing. Addy knew that Miss Alvaraz shared all of her lesson plans with the King and Queen, and so America probably knew about some upcoming quizzes or essays that were sure to make Jamesy and Maisy consider abdicating their roles in the monarchy and running far away to join the circus.

"Know what else?" Rosie asked.

"What else?" Addy asked, grinning.

"I can count to five in French! Mommy taught me."

"All the way to five?"

"Want to hear?"

"Of course!"

"Un, doo, twaah, cat, sank." Rosie demonstrated proudly.

Addy laughed as quietly as she could, and rushed to praise her baby sister, "You're going to be so ready when Miss Alvaraz starts teaching you Spanish and French."

"Daddy knows a lot of Spanish, his mommy came from Spanish, he said he can teach me tomorrow."

"This weekend." America reminded Rosie, clearly stifling her own giggles, "And Daddy's mommy wasn't from _Spanish._ Where was she from?"

Rosie yawned sleepily, "... I think she was from Carolina."

"Honduragua." America answered for her, and then Addy heard the slightly muffled sound of a hair kiss. "I'm from Carolina."

Addy was willing to bet that the difference between 'Honduragua' and 'Carolina' meant very little to Rosie, who hadn't learned much of the Illéan map yet. "Well Buddy, make sure you learn everything Daddy teaches you so you can tell me about it later." Addy said. "Lots and lots and lots of people speak Spanish in our country, and I'm going to be their queen, too. I want to understand them as much as I can."

"Okay, I can help you." Rosie promised. "I will teach you all the way to _ten_."

"Wow, _ten_? Thank you, Buddy." Addy grinned.

"Tell Addy goodnight and let's get you tucked back in." America's voice instructed.

Rosie was quick to react, like a reflex, "I need water."

"I'll bring you some water."

"I need a snack."

"You already had crackers before bedtime."

"Oh, yeah. I need-"

"Rosie." America said in a pointed but gentle tone. Addy knew it well. It meant that the time for negotiation was past, and there would be no more compromises.

Rosie sighed as if she bore a great burden of persecution, then said, "Goodnight, Addy. I love you."

"I love you, too, Rosie. Will you do me a favor?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. I need you to give Mommy a huge hug and a very big kiss for me."

"Oh okay, yeah, I can do that." Rosie was pleased to have such a monumental responsibility.

"Thank you. Goodnight, Rosebud. Happy dreams."

"Happy dreams, Addy."

There was a shuffle, and America took the phone back. "Goodnight, Adrienne. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

"I..." America paused, "I wish Grandma had been a little more thoughtful in how she told you... she's… she's really never been good at managing those of us who tend to wear other people's burdens as heavily as our own... but I'm glad you're getting a broader sense of the country you're going to rule. I think it'll help you, to know what your people have been through. Anyone your age won't have had to live through the castes, but anyone my age and Grandma's age will have, and you're going to be our queen, too."

The idea of being Queen America's Queen in just a few years made Addy extremely uncomfortable. "You'll always be my queen, Mom."

"Just as long as I get that year long vacation your father keeps talking about, I'll be whatever you want me to be." America joked.

"Have fun without me." Addy pouted, though she meant her words. She'd do just about anything to spend an entire, work-free year with her parents and siblings, just traveling around the world and experiencing everything freely. But, no matter what, they'd never all get to be free together. At least one Schreave always had to stay behind, and she'd just as soon it wasn't any of her younger siblings.

"You'll have your year." America promised. "You'll be about my age when your heir is ready to take the throne, and Daddy and I will be Grandma's age, and you know your Grandmother. She'll still be kicking."

Addy giggled, "She'll outlive all of us."

"Don't I know it." America agreed.

Addy was barely beginning to come to grips with how soon she'd be Queen, she hadn't even started thinking about what would come after she was Queen. "You really think that'll happen, Mom? I'll get to go with the whole family somewhere far away?"

"I really do." America said, a smile in her voice.

That was how they left it, other than a couple of 'I love you's. Addy fell asleep that night trying to imagine herself as an adult, done with her reign as queen, and where she'd choose to spend her year long vacation. There was so much she wanted to do. She wanted to hike with her dad and cook with her mom and watch a soccer match with Maisy and ride horses with Rosie. She wanted to ride carnival rides with Jamesy and go to the beach with Lief. She wanted to walk out until the salt water was up to his shoulders, then help him stand while the waves rolled past them. The trouble was, she wanted to do all of those things now, and it was hard to have the patience to wait twenty-five years.

That night, she dreamt of a thirty-year-old Rosie, too far across the Palace to make it to the stables. The first thing Addy did after coffee the next morning was go to the campus bookstore and use some of her allowance to buy the biggest variety pack of highlighters they sold. While on a study break, she drew a special doodle for Rosie and then had both gifts couriered to the Palace immediately. Rosie had her 'special homework markers' by the end of the day.

* * *

Addy didn't have a final exam at the end of winter session. There was a test, but it only counted for a small portion of her grade. Most of her grade was comprised of participation from the rest of the session. She had perfect attendance, she'd done every single homework assignment, and she'd spoken in class a few times. She walked out of there with an A+, and a few extra days to spend at home before the spring semester started.

Her favorite part of her mini-break was getting to help Rosie with her homework. Rosie highlighted every word on every worksheet with as many different colors as she could manage. Maxon, James, and Gerad had moved the kid sized desk that had originally been Addy's into Rosie's room, and Rosie took her inheritance very seriously. She'd decreed that only important work was allowed to be done at the Addy desk. Homework. Drawing. Reading. No toys and no snacks allowed under any circumstances except emergencies (Addy hadn't asked her baby sister what kind of toy and snack emergencies she was expecting. She was sure the rule was there for a very good reason).

On her third night at home, Addy was on her way to her room from the movie theater downstairs, where she and Kile had had a movie night. It was late, the hallway lights on the third floor were dimmed, and so she could easily make out the bright lights leaking out from under Maisy's bedroom door.

Addy paused in the hallway, then padded over and knocked softly.

"Who is it?" Maisy's voice was hushed.

"It's Addy."

There was a pause, and then, "Come in."

Addy creaked the door open and peeked inside. Maisy was curled up in her bed with Lief laying next to her. Lief was clutching Maisy's stuffed giraffe tightly, and his eyes were red and watery.

"Lief?" Addy asked, surprised, "You've been crying?"

Lief pouted at being called out like this and Addy winced. Lief associated crying with babies, and he wanted to be a big kid.

Maisy explained, "He had a really scary dream."

Addy frowned. There had been a time when Lief would have come running to her, not Maisy. All her siblings used to come to her with their worries. She supposed they were having to figure out a new way to do things now that Addy didn't live at the Palace anymore.

Addy tiptoed into the room and slid onto the bed, careful not to squish Maisy's feet which were buried somewhere under the blankets. "So," she settled in across from him, "A nightmare, huh?"

"Yeah." Lief sniffled.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Lief shook his head, then paused. "I got lost from home." he confessed miserably.

"Oh no. That's so scary." Addy said sympathetically.

"I didn't know what to do. It was dark." his voice shook.

"Where were you in the dream?" Addy asked.

"The woods."

"Okay," Addy squared her shoulders, "If you ever get lost in the real woods, hug a tree."

"Hug a tree?" Lief thought she was deranged.

"Uncle Aspen and all the guards will be looking through the woods for you. The best chance for them to find you is if you stay still and listen for them. It would be harder for them to find you if you wandered even further away, you know? Then, when you hear them calling for you, you yell back. Even if it's dark, they won't stop looking until they find you. And they'll be calling out for you, even if they don't use your real name. Okay?"

"They won't use my name?" Lief asked, confused.

"They might use a secret code name to protect your identity. Like… Stinky Face." she imagined for his benefit, and he giggled wildly in appreciation. He loved anything and everything yucky.

"Hairy Nose!" he contributed, eager to play along.

"Puke Mouth." Addy suggested.

"Butt!" Lief shrieked with laughter and clapped a hand over his mouth at his own use of the "swear word". Maisy snorted loudly, head falling back onto her pillow.

Addy was laughing, too, "I don't think Uncle Aspen is going to call you 'Butt', Lief."

Lief couldn't handle hearing the word 'butt' out loud, not once but twice. He laughed so hard, he started falling off the bed. He reached out and clung to the blankets at the last second to keep himself from going overboard, and after a moment, he managed to drag himself back to a secure position.

"Okay, so you know what to do if you're lost in the woods?" Addy checked, her tone returning to earnestness.

Lief nodded, still grinning impishly, "Hug a tree?"

"That's right."

"How did you learn all that stuff?" Lief asked curiously, "How did you learn what to do?"

"Well, I'm Dad's heir, so Uncle Aspen has been drilling me on what to do in every kind of emergency for basically my whole life."

"Like if there's a fire?" Lief asked.

"Go to the library. It's fireproof and secure."

"What if there's a monster?"

"Safe room downstairs."

"What if a robot comes and it slides down the chimney and it kidnaps Dad?"

"I become Queen and lead the army on their mission to rescue Dad." Addy shrugged.

"Woah." Lief was impressed.

Maisy lifted her hand up and threw the blanket over Lief's head. "Wanna get some sleep, Squirt?"

"Can Addy stay?" he asked from under the covers.

"Yep." Maisy allowed.

Addy giggled and stretched out on Maisy's bed, taking care to jostle and accost the giggling blanket lump that was Lief. "Slumber party time."

"Emphasis on the slumber, I've got soccer practice in the morning." Maisy bossed.

Lief poked his head out from under the covers and Addy squirmed up the bed until she found a pillow. That last thing she heard that night was Lief's groggy little voice mumble, "Love you." before they all three fell asleep.

* * *

Addy was excited to be going back to campus for a new semester. She got to ride with Meri, and they listened to very loud pop music in the back of the car for the entire ride. Addy had a brand new textbook list, and that meant she got to make a trip to the school bookstore all for herself. She got her textbooks _and_ blew twenty dollars on some brand new school supplies she didn't technically need. She even splurged on a felt pennant bearing the Kings University logo to decorate the space above her desk.

She made plans with Kile and Meri to go to their favorite campus diner for dinner that night, and she played with some makeup that Meri had given her for her birthday while she passed the time. She was distracting herself from the obvious. Luke still wasn't back. Their fight felt like a hundred years ago now, but she still felt queasy when she thought about him being mad at her.

Kile paid for dinner that night using money he'd won in a card game against his roommates. He was in a great mood, and it wasn't just because of his lucky hand of cards. He'd spent the last few days before the semester started at Aunt Kenna and Uncle James' house, where Astra was living while she was dancing in the ballet company. This meant that they'd told Uncle James and Aunt Kenna, not to mention Astra's brothers, that they were back together again. And if they'd told one family, they'd definitely told the other. Uncle Carter, Aunt Marlee, and Josie were now in the know, too.

Addy doubted they'd gotten up to any naked shenanigans while sleeping just down the hall from Uncle James, but just getting to spend that much time together must have been amazing. They'd probably watched television while cuddled up on the sofa, maybe cooked dinner together for everybody, and had a hundred little conversations in between. Addy loved that her cousin-sister and one of her best friends were back together, and actually figuring out how to have an adult relationship. The adolescent one they'd had before hadn't worked in the adult world, but Addy figured that this time they had a real chance.

"I'm the maid-of-honor at Astra's and your wedding, right?" Addy asked, apropos of nothing. Kile'd still been going on about winning his card game, he hadn't mentioned his girlfriend all evening. He rolled his eyes and threw a fry across the booth at her. It bounced off of Addy's nose and into her lap. Unwilling to let a fry go to waste, Addy picked it up, swiped it in special sauce and popped it in her mouth. She took his fry projectile as confirmation."I'm totally the maid-of-honor."

When she was as full of salt and soda as any princess could hope to be, she and Aaliyah made their way back across the darkened, chilly campus, and Addy smiled. The students were back. There were clusters of reunited friends heading every which way, and they passed no fewer than three raucous parties, even though everyone had classes in the morning. All break long, the campus had been practically abandoned. Addy had felt just like she was on a royal tour of a closed location, lonely and missing half of the fun. Now campus was alive again, and Addy was just a student again, and she couldn't wait to start classes and study at the bakery on the weekends and go to a sports match or a festival in the park or some other campus event. She took a deep breath of cold air and her lungs stung pleasantly with it, making her smile eagerly. She was ready for more.

When Addy got back to her house, the guards on the first floor were all stirred up over something, and though she didn't peek around the staircase to look in at their kitchen or common room, she could hear Illéan and English voices conversing excitedly. If the English guards were back, that could only mean one thing: the English prince was back, too.

Addy looked up the staircase and felt every emotion it was possible to feel. She was relieved that Luke was back and excited to see him and happy that she wouldn't be alone on the top floor anymore; and she was anxious that he was still mad, and terrified that he would hate her, and angry that he'd skipped her birthday party, and annoyed that he'd left it to the last possible second to come back and put an end to this fight, one way or another.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she took the stairs, and the whole world around her seemed to be in vivid, saturated color and also, somehow, a blur of tunnel vision until she got to the top of the stairs and found Luke, sitting on the sofa, leg bouncing nervously, head in his hands.

It actually reminded her of how she'd found him when she'd been sneaking back from her amazing date with Martin. This time he wasn't crying though, and that was a marked improvement. He stood when he saw her, and Addy allowed herself a moment to take in the sight of him. His sandy blond curls were longer than they'd been before break. She'd never seen his hair so long that it covered his ears before, but she didn't hate it. He wore a cable knit sweater in a deep, forrest green that made his eyes look more hazel than blue, and the way he wore his corduroy pants somehow made them look formal enough for a prince.

"Hi." she said softly.

He looked relieved that she'd found a sensible way to break the ice. "Hi."

"You just got back?"

"Yes."

"Good flight?"

"Fine. Long."

"Yeah…" Addy shifted her weight from one leg to the other.

There was an heavy silence, and then they both spoke at once, "Adrienne, I—"

"You don't have to—"

They froze. Luke bit at his bottom lip and Addy tried to remember if she'd ever seen him do that before. Should she warn him that Aunt Silvia would have his head if she spotted a royal personage biting at their lip? She would have, if they'd been at the Palace.

"I owe you an apology." he said suddenly. He got the words out before she could stop him because she'd been totally distracted by his lower lip. She scowled at herself, but Luke thought she was scowling at him. He continued, "I behaved terribly when we fought. I raised my voice and… and slammed doors… I made an absolute idiot of myself, and then I skived off your birthday party, which I'm honestly so ashamed of—"

"Luke—"

"I've played this apology through in my head dozens of times… every night before I went to sleep, but it always came off as sounding like some kind of excuse… When I try to explain my actions, it just sounds like I'm… like I'm blaming you for my bad behavior. So I won't. I won't explain anything. I just want you to know that I'm sorry, I'm a complete monster, and I beg you to forgive me."

Addy shook her head, letting his words hang in the air between them for a moment while she processed them. "Luke… you're not a monster."

"I am."

"No." she laughed a little at the idea, "I just… You don't get to control what I do."

"I know that. I'm done with that."

"I know what I did was risky, and I get that it was selfish, I just don't think that being a little selfish once in a while is the worst crime I could commit."

"You're right."

"My whole life is for my country. That night was for me."

"I understand." Luke nodded.

Honestly, Addy was surprised. At some point, she'd expected him to remind her of the people who risked their lives to protect her, of what it would have done to her family if she'd gotten hurt or killed while she was off campus, of the future for her country that would die if she did. He didn't. Maybe he'd realized that she already had that anxious voice inside her head, and she didn't need any external voices to add to it.

"I… I'm sorry I scared you, though." Addy took a step forward, offering him her hand. "I know I scared the absolute life out of you, and I didn't mean to, and I'm not sorry about anything else from that night. But I'm sorry about that."

He took her offered hand in his and said, "Thank you. I'll try to imagine you dead in less creative and frankly horrifying ways next time. That'll help."

"Next time I'll give you fair warning." Addy rolled her eyes. "Then we can decide the ways I'll probably die together."

"Yes, you always make everything more practical." Luke nodded.

"I'm more likely to be stricken by lightning than devoured by a pack of ravenous wolves this far away from any forests, for example." Addy pointed out.

Luke pretended to heave a breath of relief, "Thank goodness. Illéa isn't ready for its first werewolf queen, no matter what the progressives say."

Addy tilted her chin back and laughed. It was a good play on all of the headlines that had periodically popped up in magazines for Addy's whole life, questioning whether Illéa was truly ready for its first ruling queen. "Maybe in another fifty years." she replied.

Luke gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then dropped it and turned back to the sofa, "I have something for you…"

"What?"

"It's your birthday present. I'm absolutely foul for not being at your birthday party to give it to you…" he paused, picking up a brightly wrapped package and turning back to look at her, "Your dress was magnificent, by the way."

"Th—Thank you." Addy realized with a jolt that he must have sought out magazines with photographs of the event, maybe to torture himself for skipping town.

"I can't believe how quickly Lief and Rosie are growing up. I saw them a few months ago, but I swear they look taller now."

"It's dizzying." Addy agreed.

"I'd like to see your family again soon, if that's alright."

Addy's heart ached for him, so far from his own family and clearly afraid she wouldn't want him near hers, "Oh Lucas, you're _always_ welcome at the Palace. It's your home, too."

He smiled gratefully, then offered her the wrapped package in his hands. "Happy birthday, Bird."

Addy tore into it happily, letting the wrapping paper fall away, and she gently opened the white cardboard box beneath to reveal a wide, thick mug with an overlarge handle on the side. Addy stepped aside to set the box down and examine her new gift. It fit perfectly on her hand, though it would also be comfortable to clutch between both of her hands for warmth. It was silky-smooth ceramic, white with blue snowflakes falling down. On the front of the mug, an adorable cartoon redbird stood in a pair of tiny ice skates, a tartan scarf wrapped around her neck, the end of it flying like a flag in the breeze. The bird tilted her head curiously, thoughtfully, adorably.

"Found it in Scotland." Luke grinned. "Now you've got your own mug and you can stop stealing mine."

Addy grinned up at him, "Oh, I'm going to keep stealing yours."

"And neglect your pretty bird?" Luke asked in a tone that attempted to guilt her.

Addy giggled, clutching the mug to her chest, "Did you bring any more of that cinnamon spice tea?"

"Two tins. It ought to last us until warmer weather, so long as there aren't any hard freezes that necessitate extra tea to survive." he said wisely.

"Will you make some now for my new mug?"

Luke bowed to her at the waist, "As your Highness commands."

Addy laughed, "Luke, you can't bow that deeply to me! What are you trying to do, start an international incident? A bow that deep, and you've basically just handed me England."

Luke bowed even lower, until the top of his head was pointed fully at the floor, "Have Wales as well."

Addy poked him in the side, causing him to jolt away from any potential tickling, then crossed the room to carefully set her mug next to the stove and await her tea. "You can't give me Wales, Wales isn't yours anymore."

As he also crossed over and put the kettle on, he muttered, "That's what they think."

Addy rubbed a hand over her face, shaking her head at the rogue prince in front of her. What was she going to do with him?


	22. Chapter 21

Addy sprinted to the bakery on the first morning of classes. She'd woken before her alarm and waited patiently as her heart hammered excitedly in her chest. When it was finally time, she showered, dressed in her favorite outfit, and then she sprinted. Weaver had no choice but to run at a respectful distance behind her, and they made quite the sight, dashing across campus so early on a cold Monday morning.

Addy's backpack bounced against her jacket, which was now too warm and making her a little sweaty everywhere it covered her. She lowered the zipper enough to let the cold air in, and above all, kept running.

Martin was standing outside, waiting with a bouquet of winter flowers in his hands. Addy didn't slow down to admire them, she flew right into his waiting arms and squeezed him for dear life. She'd been waiting for this exact moment for weeks, and though they'd shared a few late night telephone calls between then and now, there was just no substitute for the smell of him, for the strength of his arms wrapped around her, for the sound of his laugh in her ear.

Addy was going to say 'hello' or in some way greet him like a normal person when she'd gotten her fill of their hug, but instead, they went right in for a long, drawn out kiss. She'd thought his lips might be chapped from the dry winter air, but they were soft and inviting. His mouth tasted minty, and it struck Addy very suddenly that she was tasting his specific brand of toothpaste. Why was the very thought of that so thrilling?

They were making a scene in public, and Addy supposed there was only so much she could ask of her fellow students. They'd been wonderful about respecting her privacy so far, if for no other reason than that they'd be suspended from school if they leaked photographs of the Princess to the press, but honestly, these public displays of affection were probably incredibly tempting.

From behind them there was a loud, throaty cough. Addy peeled herself away from Martin just far enough for her to turn her head and see Lenore standing there, eyebrow raised.

Addy leapt off of Martin, but reigned herself in before she could throw her arms around her seminar partner, potentially embarrassing her. "Lenore!" Addy was grinning like a fool. She'd truly missed her intelligent, sarcastic, unrelentingly honest friend.

"I guessed you'd be here." Lenore explained her presence at their morning rendezvous, then turned her eyes to Martin and his flaming red cheeks. "Hi." she said perfunctorily.

Martin managed a little wave because his heart was in his throat and he couldn't quite speak yet, after the up and down of that kiss and Lenore's sudden appearance.

"Listen," Lenore said, getting down to business, "I want you to sit by me in class today."

"Okay…" Addy had been planning to do so all along, and she'd assumed Lenore would be okay with it, but it was another thing entirely to find out that Lenore had woken up early and tracked Addy down at her favorite bakery just to ask her to do it.

"Do you still want to be partners again this semester?" Lenore asked, and the frown on her face indicated concern.

"What? Of course I do!" Addy smiled. "We work great together, plus I think Dearwood wants us together, anyway."

Lenore didn't look convinced. "There are only eight students in advanced seminar this semester, and you and I are two of them."

Addy's stomach clenched with nerves at the abrupt reminder that she was part of such an exclusive, elite group. She had no doubt that if she didn't do well in class, Dearwood would cut her from the seminar in a heartbeat. "Do you think we're doing a policy proposal again?" Addy wondered what she could do to start preparing. Maybe she should have been preparing all winter? Had she just _wasted_ two months?

Lenore didn't care in the slightest, "No idea. What matters is, we're going on field trips this semester."

"We are? Really?"

"And one of the places we'll be going is the Palace."

Addy's stomach sank, "The Palace?"

Martin squeezed her hip and chuckled, "Wow. Ever been to the Palace before, Addy?"

"Shut up." Addy grimaced. "We're going to _the Palace_ , Lenore, are you sure?"

"Not your bedroom or anything, you don't have to look like we're going to dig through your underwear drawer." Lenore rolled her eyes. "We're going to the offices, we're going to speak with advisers."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I went by the foreign relations building yesterday and grabbed the syllabus off of the wall." Lenore still hadn't gotten to the point of their conversation, and seemed to be blowing through what Addy considered to be important details.

"You were here last night? I wish you'd gone to dinner with us…"

But Lenore kept going, "The point is, if we keep at it, I'll bet we can uncover some details about Swendway. We're going to have access to more resources this semester than we did last time, including at the Palace, and I know we're close to putting this all together."

Addy raised her eyebrows, "Swendway? Lenore, you're still thinking about Swendway?"

Lenore scoffed, "Yeah, of course I am. Aren't you?"

"I… I don't—"

"Don't you want to find out what's going on?" Lenore prodded her.

"I…" Addy wasn't sure what to say. She was going to find out what was going on eventually, and part of her truly dreaded whatever her parents had thought was so bad that they had to hide it from her. "I don't know…"

"Well, I do. You deserve to know what you're walking into when you become Queen, and the rest of us deserve a queen who knows what the hell is going on. This is for the good of Illéa. And besides, everyone else in that class is a moron. They'd be dead weight if I had them for a partner." Then she paused and glanced at Martin, "No offense."

Martin grinned and shrugged, "I can't take seminar this semester anyway, I've got to get some foreign language credits so I can polish off my minor in linguistics."

Addy had known about Martin's schedule since the end of last semester, and she was of two minds about it. Of course she'd miss seeing him during class, but on the other hand, now he was going to get to practice speaking to her in foreign tongues, and she had a feeling she was about to be obsessed with not knowing what in the world he was saying to her.

"Lenore, I don't know how useful I can be." Addy said, hedging, "If we do figure something out about Swendway, and my parents have no choice but to explain everything to me, I still won't be able to tell you about it. It'd still be a government secret."

Lenore looked like she couldn't believe Addy was being so dimwitted. "Everyone. Else. Is. A. Moron."

"Um…"

"If you find out what's going on, and you get to help decide what to do about it, then I'm satisfied." Lenore said. " _You're not a moron_."

Addy realized that Lenore was trying to give her a huge compliment, an unprecedented vote of confidence. Lenore was saying that she believed in Addy, that she trusted her to do the right thing. "Wow. Okay."

"So we're going to be partners? We're going to keep working on this?"

"Absolutely." Addy grinned.

"Good." Lenore nodded, content.

"Do you want to come in with us?" Addy offered, "We're going to eat breakfast and—"

The look on Lenore's face said it all. She had absolutely no interest in being a third wheel on their breakfast date. She stayed long enough to buy some coffee to go, and then she was gone in a swish of long braids and gold beads.

* * *

The bakery was packed full of students, which Addy appreciated more than she ever had before after the long winter she'd spent there, all but alone. She and Martin managed to find a booth in the corner and curl up together, sipping sweet cream coffee confections and sharing pastries and catching up. The beautiful winter bouquet he'd brought for her sat on the table for Addy to gaze at and admire as she enjoyed the nearness of her boyfriend.

Martin had had a wonderful Christmas, it turned out. He'd helped his dad with his bustling candle shop and cooked meals with his brothers. They'd gone to see no fewer than five movies at the theater and played plenty of soccer in the backyard. His mom had gotten a hefty winter bonus added on to her paycheck, and so the whole family was going on vacation to Italy over the following summer. Martin had mentioned to his family that he was dating someone back at school long before the winter break, but only his brothers had managed to figure out who it was. They'd spotted him gazing longingly at several gossip magazines prominently featuring coverage of Addy's birthday ball and joked that Addy was his girlfriend. It had been fun and games until Martin had blushed scarlet and stammered a nonsensical reply. His brothers, who knew his tells better than anyone, knew that he was lying and were astounded at the truth. Sure, they mercilessly teased him about it for the rest of the winter break, but they also bought all three magazines and gave them to him for Christmas. Those were now delicately tucked away in his bedroom back home.

Addy told Martin about Christmas morning with her family, one of the only parts of the holiday that wasn't broadcast to the public. Lief and Rosie still liked to wake up with the sun, eager for presents. Unlike Christmas eve, the rest of the Singer family was out of the Palace, visiting other members of their respective families, so it was a very exclusive early morning Schreave gathering. Jamesy got a new pack for camping, big and strong enough to hold a tent, a sleeping bag, and other essential gear. Maisy had gotten concert tickets to see her favorite band perform live, a major gift considering the security details that must have been arranged well before the tickets were ever procured. Lief got a remote control car that he was now using to terrorize the entire Palace. Rosie got a canopy for her bed so she could feel like a princess.

Martin laughed at that, "I don't understand. She's an actual princess. She lives in a palace!"

"We're princesses in a political way." Addy shrugged. "She wants to be a princess in a fairytale way."

"She has tiaras!" he found it adorable and confusing and silly, and it made Addy grin.

"Yeah, they're really cute." She said. "But now she has something even more important: a canopy over her bed and several medieval-themed dresses. Now she can _play_ at being a princess, which, take it from me, is much more fun than actually being one."

"I guess I just thought real princesses would have other obsessions." Martin mused into his coffee before taking a drink.

Addy really considered it, shrugging. She'd never spent much time analyzing her baby sister before, but she had heard Ms. Alavaraz talk with her mom about childhood development. "I think she's just acting out the stories she's seen and read, and the stories for kids her age are mostly fairytales. She's repeating what she's seen, and experimenting within it to see what else she can do… Sometimes she defeats an evil witch, sometimes she practices caring for unicorns, sometimes she escapes a tower and starts a new life in the woods, gathering plants to eat and building her own shelter. She uses the idea of a fairytale princess to try new things from inside the safety of familiar things."

The moment Addy was done speaking, Martin was kissing her. It was like he'd hardly been able to contain himself while she'd been talking, but had desperately worked to avoid interrupting her.

"What was that?" Addy grinned up at him from the crook of his arm.

"I missed you so much."

"Okay." she laughed.

"I missed hearing you talk about things… I missed how _smart_ you are."

"Oh."

"Here we are, early on a Monday, casually catching up after a long holiday. And the next thing I know, I'm learning things from you that I never even knew I didn't know."

"Really?"

"You're endless. Do you know that?" he asked sincerely.

Addy shook her head, speechless after all of that. He meant every word of it.

Martin seemed to realize he'd overwhelmed her and immediately backed off, giving her a light squeeze and taking a drink from his coffee. The broken eye contact gave Addy a moment to collect herself. She wasn't used to having her breath stolen before even finishing her coffee. She gulped and Martin said, "What else happened on Christmas morning?"

Addy swished the creamy coffee around in her mouth, thinking about it. "Oh! Wilberforth. He always gets his own present, and it's so much fun to watch him open it all by himself." she gushed.

"You wrapped a Christmas present for your dog?" Martin laughed.

Addy nodded eagerly, "A few years ago we started getting him a new dog toy for Christmas, and wrapping it up in wrapping paper, just like ours. I can't remember exactly how, but we taught him to unwrap his own present with his paws and teeth. And he can always smell when something is a dog toy, rather than a human toy, because he never unwraps anyone else's packages."

"He's a smart boy."

"The smartest, best boy in the world." Addy nodded sincerely. "A few years ago we forgot to wrap his present before Christmas morning, so we were just going to get around to giving him his toy after breakfast. He started sniffing through the shreds of paper surrounding all of us kids on the floor, and then he started barking at Dad!" Addy laughed.

"No way." Martin grinned at her. The mental image was funny, but her elated reaction to it was his favorite part.

"I'm not kidding. The poor puppy was scandalized that he didn't have a present."

"That's amazing."

"Dad had to get up, hand his camera off to Mom, and quickly wrap up the stuffed squeaky toy bone in the next room. He came back and handed it over to Wilberforth with some ear scratches."

"Did Wilberforth forgive him?"

"Immediately. They played tug of war on the floor for half an hour."

"If everyone else in the kingdom serves your dad, but your dad serves Wilberforth, does that mean that Wilberforth is our true king?" Martin pretended to muse.

"We could only be so lucky." Addy sighed wistfully. "There would be no work or money or wars. There would only be treats and toys and snuggles."

The mention of wars seemed to ring a bell in Martin's mind. Tentatively, very cautiously, he said, "So…I heard about the troop deployment to New Asia."

Addy furrowed her brow. She'd thought about it a lot, from a lot of different angles, but she hadn't considered what Martin's perspective on it might be. "Are people upset out there? What are they saying?"

"I don't think they're mad. It's not a new war or anything. They're really only noticing because lots of them fought in New Asia twenty years ago, or knew someone who fought in New Asia twenty years ago. The fact that we're sending troops to New Asia again was pretty noticeable, that's all. No one ever thought they'd be sending their sons or daughters to the same place they themselves had been deployed."

"But they're not angry?"

Martin considered the question, "They're worried. Concerned. It's not what they had in mind when their kids volunteered for the service. The deployment was small, but they're thinking about what happens if it escalates."

Addy puffed out a breath, her lips buzzing together until the air was out of her lungs. She sucked in a new breath, lungs filling with the aroma of coffee and pastries and said, "The plan is for a quick, decisive action. I can't tell you much, but we've got a good strategy. My dad and I talked it over— on Christmas eve actually— and this is the best option on the table."

Martin's eyes widened, "You and your dad talked this over? You… _you_ were involved in this decision?"

"Yes." Addy studied his face for any sign of negative judgement, but there was only surprise. "Any time he makes a decision that could impact my reign, he brings me in and we talk it out and we decide what to do together. It hasn't happened very often, but it'll probably happen more and more as I get closer to ascending."

Martin looked flabbergasted. The Addy he knew was the normal student, and sometimes it hit him that she was a princess, but he was far from being able to absorb that she was going to be Queen in less than three years. Addy couldn't blame him, she'd barely absorbed it herself, and she'd known about it for her entire life.

Addy took pity on him, "Do you have any questions about the deployment? I'll answer if I can."

Martin blinked hard and licked his lips, " _You_ sent troops to New Asia?"

"Yes."

" _You?_ "

"And my dad."

"But you… you're younger than me."

"I know."

"Was it hard?"

Addy nodded, rubbing a hand on her forehead, "It was the hardest thing I've had to do so far."

"Why did _you_ have to do it?" Martin asked, genuinely curious. "There are so many other countries in the world, why are you the one risking your soldiers' lives?"

Those words could have been combative coming from someone else, but coming from Martin, they were just concerned. Concerned about her. Addy took his hand and squeezed, "We're getting support from other allies, we're not totally alone. But the thing is, we still have a huge standing army leftover from the last war. Bigger than any other country in the world, by a lot."

"I guess I didn't realize our army was still so big. The New Asian war ended sixteen years ago."

"Well, we were slow to scale down at first. Dad ended the war, but we still had massive domestic economic problems, and that's not even to mention the rebels. It wasn't until the economy was better and the rebels were contained that Dad felt comfortable beginning to scale down our army. That was well after I was born, and that's the kind of huge transition that takes a lifetime. So, yeah, we still have plenty of trained soldiers to help our ally. Why shouldn't we do it?"

Martin shrugged at the challenge, "It just doesn't seem fair, I guess. They should be able to do this themselves."

"I know," Addy agreed emphatically, "But they can't, it's gotten too tricky for them. And you know it's in our best interest that New Asia stays strong, economically and from a security perspective. If we prevent their rebels from gaining a foothold now, we're saving ourselves a big headache down the road."

Martin still didn't like it any more than Addy did. "How do we know we won't have to keep coming back to bail them out?"

"We don't get to know that." Addy admitted. "But that doesn't mean we can just let them fall to the rebels."

Martin sighed heavily, his head lolling back against the booth they were sitting at. It was a tough situation, and he knew better than to think he could fix it for her. Instead, he focused on what he was good at, "There's ice skating in the park this weekend. Do you want to go?"

Immediately, the tension melted from Addy's shoulders. She grinned, "I've never been."

"Never?" he looked down at her. "Doesn't your family have a winter cabin?"

"We ski… well, Mom and Dad ski. We kids mostly drink hot chocolate and throw snowballs at each other."

Martin laughed at the mental image, "I'd imagine that devolves into quite the war, with all of you Schreaves and Singers."

"It's anarchy." Addy agreed.

"So, does this mean that I actually get to teach you how to ice skate?" he raised his eyebrows eagerly.

"It's a date." Addy pressed a kiss to his lips and then returned to her coffee, grateful again for this boy and this university, and the escape they both gave her from her real life.

* * *

Addy's first few weeks back at school were absolutely perfect. Classes were either easy or interesting, or both. The only impossibly difficult class Addy had on her schedule was advanced seminar, which was actually the most ridiculously hard thing Addy had ever attempted to do in her life. She was constantly on the edge of a nervous breakdown about it, but Lenore kept her from tumbling off the cliff because, in her own unusual way, Lenore had become Addy's biggest cheerleader.

It was Lenore's considered opinion that Addy was the only other intelligent form of life on the planet, and with a little intense prodding on Lenore's part, would someday be capable of actually taking care of herself. In the mean time, Lenore had made it her mission to keep Addy on track, refusing to lose such a promising mind to something as rudimentary as an anxiety disorder. Her pointed looks, snide comments, and unrelenting expectations acted like a tether, giving Addy no choice but to successfully memorize the entire lexicons of terminology, histories of extinct nations, and philosophies of ancient politicians that were being set to them on a weekly basis. What was the alternative? Disappointing her new friend, so soon after being accepted and taken in under her wing? Addy refused.

Addy made time to see Martin every single day, including for dates like skating in the park. Addy didn't last long, or to be more exact, her ankles didn't last long. She tumbled and fell over and over, no matter how diligently Martin tried to save her, and the intense vibrations of the blades against the ice left her ankles aching. It was the hardest she could ever remember laughing, collapsing repeatedly and bringing Martin down with her. She even got to see Uncle Ry because none of her rotation of guards could ice skate, and someone needed to be able to reach her in case of emergency. Uncle Ry had learned to skate with Aunt May years ago, on one of their trips somewhere out in the world, and so he'd driven up from Angeles and now he was using his (admittedly clumsy) skills to keep an eye on her. He did a terrible job of pretending to give her privacy though, and Addy poked her tongue out at him or made a face his way every time he loudly laughed at her wipeouts.

Kile started visiting Addy's dorm twice a week to help her study for her statistics class. He'd aced the exact same class the previous year, and Addy was happy for all the help she could get. She paid him in delivery food for them to devour while they studied, so the whole upstairs regularly smelled delicious, and a class that might have been a huge headache for Addy became one of her favorite parts of the week.

When student clubs started up again for the new semester, Meri and Addy joined a movie club. The club rented out one theater on campus and the members got to see the newest blockbuster for free, with popcorn, once a month. Even if Addy could only make it to one or two movies for the whole semester, it would be worth it to spend that special time with Meri. Plus, they got matching club t-shirts, which endlessly thrilled them both.

Four weeks into the new semester, Addy had to return to reality for a few crucial days. It was time for the Emperor of New Asia to visit the Palace and discuss the current state of affairs in the Chengdu province. Addy needed to be in full 'heir to the throne' mode, and Luke, as a dignitary visiting Illéa, would also be in attendance for both publicity and practical purposes. King Eoan had been the first in line to offer help to Illéan troops on their way to New Asia, opening his military bases as a rest stop on the long flight overseas. Illéan soldiers could rest, eat, and regroup before heading out for the final leg of their journey. It was a priceless gift, one that more than warranted inviting a Prince of England to the table to discuss how matters were progressing.

This would be the first time Luke would ever be acting on behalf of his monarchy without his older brother in the room. It clearly had him frazzled, though he channeled every ounce of that energy into making sure _Addy_ was prepared for her role. This would be a first for her, too. She'd helped make this military decision, and she stood to inherit the end of this conflict if the rebels proved too difficult to squash out quickly. That meant she'd be Queen, the head of her country's military. So during this summit, she was functionally co-ruler with her dad, and they would be side-by-side for the interviews that would take place when the summit was done. Her dad had been preparing her for this her whole life, she knew exactly what to do, and she still felt like vomiting all over the backseat of the car as she and Luke rode back to Angeles.

Luke, who had extensively studied New Asian history and culture, and even spoke some of the most dominant language in New Asia, was talking at a mile a minute in the seat across from Addy. Addy didn't usually have any trouble understanding his accent, she'd grown up used to it, but even she was losing a word or two out of every sentence as Luke barraged her with every possible piece of trivia that might be of some help to her. When he ran out of ideas, he started bouncing his knee up and down at a breakneck speed to release the nervous energy.

Addy leant forward and placed a hand on his knee, which instantly fell still at her touch. "We don't have to impress anybody, the Emperor is coming here to thank us and to update us on the mission in person." This was as much for her own benefit as his.

" _Us,_ Addy, _thank us_. That includes you!"

"And you."

Luke pshawed and said, "I didn't do anything. It's not like Andy or Father consulted me before coordinating with your military. I was with Mother, helping with holiday festivities. I was ankle deep in fairy lights! _You_ did something real. _I_ don't even belong at this meeting."

"Luke, you're a Prince of England." Addy said gently, "That means that you're more than just yourself. You represent your monarchy, your elected government, and all of your people. When the Emperor thanks you, he's thanking You… with a capital 'Y'. The Royal You. All of You. And your job, as a representative, is to be humble and gracious on behalf of everything you symbolize. It doesn't matter whether you personally coordinated England's military response or not."

Luke gazed at her, absorbing her tone and her words. She always had such confidence in him, and it never failed to make him want to be what she thought he was, "I suppose you're right."

"I'm always right." she winked.

"I've had tutors telling me something to that effect for all of my life, you know."

"Sounds like you had smart tutors."

"I guess I've never had to be that kind of royal before; the kind that symbolizes everything. That's what Andrew's for."

Addy studied him for a moment, the soft curl of his hair, the small furrow of his brows, the slight pout of his lips. He had the soul of a king born with a knife twist of fate; if he'd come three years sooner he'd have a country to care for, but as it was now, he was a king with no kingdom. "You can do this. I promise."

Luke's expression eased into a little smile, "Do you ever feel like we're getting away with something? Like we're still just Palace kids, but now we're up on pedestals telling people what to do? Trying to make ourselves look taller than we are?"

Addy nodded slowly, thinking it through. The kid versions of herself and Luke, standing on tiptoe, wearing their parents' crowns low over their eyes because they hadn't grown into them yet."Yes, every day. And I have no idea how long until we stop feeling like imposters in our own lives."

They sat there like that for another moment, and then like a jolt of electricity, Addy realized she'd had her hand on Luke's knee for far longer than necessary and she yanked it away. She pretended she'd had an itch on her wrist to account for the sudden movement. Magnanimously, Luke turned his head to the look out the window and didn't say a word about it.

Neither of Addy's parents were there to greet her when the car pulled up to the side entrance of the Palace. Aunt Marlee was there, though, and she curtsied to Luke before he swept her into a tight hug. Addy reported that she'd seen Kile last night, and he was doing great, and that set at least one part of Aunt Marlee's mind at ease. The rest of her was in overdrive, a thousand things to take care of before the Emperor, Empress and the Princes and Princess of New Asia arrived the next morning.

While they walked inside, Aunt Marlee began updating Addy. She sent Luke to his usual room on the third floor and reminded him that he'd need to be ready in a few hours for an 'official arrival', meaning one that was photographed for the international press. Luke peeled off at the next staircase they passed to head to his room and start getting ready. Addy stayed with Aunt Marlee, heading to Addy's office.

Jamesy was there when Addy arrived, sitting behind her desk, finishing a list of decisions Addy would have the final say on with regards to entertaining the New Asian princes and princess. She thanked him for working so hard to get this ready for her. As she looked down at the paperwork on her desk, she could see that he'd done everything he possibly could to help her. He seemed to wilt with relief, or maybe it was just that he was allowing his posture to relax now that he wasn't functioning as an heir anymore. Addy reminded herself that it was her turn to bear the burden, squared her shoulders to take over for Jamesy, and settled in to work.

Aunt Marlee and Addy slogged through the decisions for three days of entertainment. Once the New Asian delegation arrived, there would be photographs, then a banquet. They would rest for the night, and then the following morning the Emperor, the Crown Prince, the King, Luke, and Addy would go into a meeting with a few key advisers. This was the substance of the visit, everything else was just diplomatic fluff (unless it was done wrong. If it was done wrong and the New Asians were offended, it was a nightmare on an international scale).

During that meeting, the rest of the Schreaves and the rest of the New Asian royal family would begin touring Angeles. America would be hosting the Empress, so America and Silvia were handling those tour details, and it was Addy's job to find locations with national significance for the princes and princesses to spend that time together. They'd go by the monument to King Clarkson and Queen Amberly, then watch a professional soccer match between Angeles and Sota. There would be a private dinner at a restaurant that served New Asian cuisine with an Illéan twist, a style of food pioneered by New Asian immigrants and made possible by the good relations between the two countries. Astra had also offered to lead a tour of the historic Angeles ballet.

Addy wanted to tap her forehead on the top of the table, completely uninterested in finding activities to represent all of Illéa in a good light. Her brothers and sisters could represent Illéa just fine on their own, this was purely for publicity, and it was stifling. Marlee grew tired of it unusually quickly, too.

"I'm sure this will be great." Marlee said, looking down the list of activities one more time. They'd added a stop at a local bookshop and a walk through one of Angeles' more beautiful parks.

"Maybe they'll even have a little fun." Addy leant back in her chair, looking around her office and taking it in. She hadn't spent much time here since Jamesy'd taken over her duties in September. He'd made a few small changes, but she liked them. The unexpected placement of the pens in her desk drawer, the shuffle of the books on her bookshelf, the framed photograph of a river he'd taken on his last campout, positioned carefully on the coffee table, all reminded her of how lucky she was to have a brother like him.

"I should hurry back to Silvia." Aunt Marlee stood, gathering papers in her arms, "And I should get these off to the advance teams. They'll need to coordinate with security from all three countries, it's going to be a madhouse…"

"Does Mom need my help?" Addy asked, standing up.

Marlee considered this, "I don't think so. There's a lot to do, but unless I'm wrong, none of it is the best use of your time. I think you should start getting ready for Prince Lucas' fake arrival this evening, and maybe check in on your younger siblings to make sure they're going to be ready on time."

Addy nodded. 'Royal child wrangler' was a role she was extremely comfortable playing, she'd been doing it since she was old enough to boss Jamesy around. It was a relief to have something normal to do for a little bit, something that had nothing to do with the military action she and her father had implemented.

* * *

Bridget and Aunt Kenna had everything under control upstairs, but everyone was happy to have Addy join in. She combed Lief's hair for him and helped Rosie apply a pink lip balm to her actual lips and not, as happened when Rosie applied her own lip balm, all over her chin with an incidental splotch on her mouth. When the kids started getting too wiggly to continue making good progress on getting them ready, Aunt Kenna ushered them to the family room to play some games and get some excited energy out of them. Bridget turned her attention to getting Addy ready for that evening.

"I saw his royal handsomeness walking into his room down the hall." Bridget announced, tone heavy with gossip, as she brushed sections of Addy's hair into silky soft waves. "He didn't stand you up this time. Does that mean the two of you aren't fighting anymore?"

Addy rolled her eyes, " _His royal handsomeness_? Really?"

Bridget grinned like a fool, shrugging her shoulders innocently, "Tell me it's not true."

Addy ignored her, "Prince Lucas apologized for being a moron. I graciously accepted."

Bridget made a 'tsk' of disapproval at the word 'moron'. As she sectioned off another piece of Addy's hair, she said in a much more serious voice, "I'm glad things are better. I worry about you out there, you know."

Addy scrunched her nose at Bridget's reflection, a goofy face that made Bridget laugh. Bridget and Addy had spent hours and hours together like this over the past few years, preparing for various public appearances, royal events, or important meetings. Addy knew how close her mother had become with all of her ladies maids, even the ones who no longer worked for the Palace, and Addy wondered if she and Bridget would be friends for their whole lives in that same way. "Bridge, are you staying at the Palace after I become Queen?" Addy asked, a pang in her chest at every possible answer that wasn't 'Yes'.

Bridget tilted her head to the side, not sure where this thought had come from, "I haven't thought about it much. I think so. I mean, I'm excited about styling you during your Selection, and I've been sketching ideas for all the various wedding events we're going to do between now and your coronation."

Wedding. Addy's eyes widened comically. She'd accepted that she'd have a Selection, she'd been thinking long and hard about who she would marry, who would become the prince consort of Illéa. But the bridge between the two, the actual _wedding_? She'd totally forgotten that she'd be a bride before she was even queen.

Bridget continued, oblivious, "And obviously, it's a lifelong dream to have a hand in your coronation. So, yes. I'll be here." she'd made up her mind then and there. "Why? Do you think Talia's going to stay with your mother and go into retired queen mode?"

"I think so. I know Mom's going to keep a pretty full schedule, she's going to spend more time on her initiatives and she said she's going to help train whoever I marry for the first few years. She'll probably need Talia."

"So there's a promotion in my near future." Bridget wiggled her eyebrows interestedly.

"More near than either of us are comfortable with." Addy said, trying to wrap her head around the mental image of herself in a white dress and veil. The whole idea put a frown on her face, though it took the rest of getting ready for Addy to understand why.

Thinking about marriage was too much, too soon, with Martin. She was loving every second of falling in love with him. She loved the time they were taking, and how there was no royal pressure on their relationship at all. She wasn't ready to think about their wedding. Even more importantly, starting to plan their wedding now would definitely apply royal pressure to the situation, and possibly ruin this special, sacred part of their relationship: the fact that it was _theirs._

"Bridge?" Addy asked, sliding on her high heeled shoes and getting ready to catch up to her father, in whatever meeting he was trapped in at the moment.

"Yes, your Highness?" Bridget was tidying up Addy's vanity, putting everything they'd just used back where it belonged.

"Don't sketch wedding ideas yet. Let's do graduation first."

Bridget nodded, completely unbothered, but Addy spent the entire walk to her father's office trying to ease the pit in her stomach. She'd only been at school for six months. She and Martin still had plenty of time before reality came barging in.

* * *

The Schreaves stood on the Palace steps in order of age and rank in the monarchy, dressed up but not as formally as they would be the following day for the Emperor's arrival. Maisy did a great job, as always, of keeping Lief focused on keeping Rosie focused, which meant that everyone stood still and quiet until Luke got out of the car bearing English flags and stepped forward.

What came next was a delicate dance, one that Luke had only ever watched before. As cameras snapped like wild, Maxon and Luke locked eyes and, at the exact same moment to the best of their ability, tilted their chins down and to the side, but only halfway to their necks. They held the nod of respect, then raised their heads at the same time and shook hands. "Good job, Lucas." Addy heard Maxon reassure Luke, and Luke nodded just a little, not wanting his relief at passing this first test to show to the cameras capturing every minuscule detail of the exchange.

Next he offered America the same head nod of respect, as she curtseyed to him, a very shallow bob of her knees. Then, this quick formality observed, she hugged him tightly. "Your father is going to be so proud." America whispered into his ear.

Then it was Addy's turn. They locked eyes and Addy was seized with a fit of the giggles. Luke, knowing that the hardest part of the evening was over and that he hadn't caused any international headaches for his father and big brother to handle, was similarly fighting off a grin at the look on her face. Addy pursed her lips together tightly to bury her giggles in her mouth, eyes locked on his as they did their formal genuflections.

But then, when it was time for their hug, Addy's body seemed to catch up with her mind, and it panicked. She couldn't hug Luke _in front of those cameras_ , that wouldn't be appropriate. Would it? Maybe it would. They'd hugged lots of times in front of cameras for all of their lives. But things were different now, she had a boyfriend and he had a girlfriend. But it wasn't a romantic hug, it was just a warm welcome to the Palace. But what was the difference, they'd still be pressing their bodies together—

Luke, who'd still had his eyes locked on hers for this entire little burst of anxiety, read her face like a book. He placed one hand behind his back and reached forward with the other, taking her hand gently in his own. Then, watching her to make sure he wasn't making things worse, he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. The gesture was so tender, it was surprising that it fulfilled the qualifications of a greeting from one country to another.

Addy wanted to thank him for thinking of something else to do other than the hug. She wanted to point out that his innate ability to improvise something so perfectly suited for diplomacy _and_ for the human he was meant to be greeting, proved beyond any doubt that he was every bit as gentile and princely as his older brother. She wanted to make a joke, to bring them back to the verge of inappropriate giggles.

But before Addy could say anything, Luke and Jameson were sharing a bow of their heads and then a vigorous handshake. Then Luke and Maisy were sharing their bow and curtsey respectively, then a tight hug. Maisy said something to Luke, but it was in his far ear and Addy couldn't make out what it was. He laughed and nodded though, and Maisy winked. Addy felt a pang of annoyance that she couldn't guess what they were talking about. Did they have an inside joke? A standing arrangement, anytime he visits they watch a movie or something? Luke shook Lief's proffered hand formally, and Lief frowned deeply in reply. Addy realized her baby brother was trying to make his face look like their father's during an important meeting, and was doing a cartoonishly inaccurate job of it. Luke stifled a chuckle and nodded seriously, reassuring Lief that he was doing a great job representing Illéa.

Rosie did things in the wrong order. She rushed forward to Luke, arms outstretched, demanding a hug. He swept her up in his arms, and she laughed loud enough for the microphones on the cameras to easily pick up. That little laugh could bring world peace, Addy sighed, if only they could bottle it up and distribute it around the world. Luke asked Rosie something and she nodded, then asked a question of her own. Addy could tell it was a question by the tilt of her head. Luke explained something back very patiently, and she nodded her understanding. When Luke sat her gently back on her feet, she remembered what she'd forgotten and curtseyed wobbly. Luke laughed and bowed to her, and just like that, his job was done for the night. He walked down the line back to Maxon, and when the two of them were on the same step, they started walking into the front entrance of the Palace.

America offered Addy her arm and they followed, then Jamesy and Maisy, then Lief and Rosie.

The moment the doors were closed behind them, America turned to sweep Rosie into her arms. "Good job, Buddy. Good job, Lief. You both did perfectly. Let's go get ready for dinner."

"Can Luke sit by me?" Rosie asked.

"We're eating in the family room tonight. The formal dinner is tomorrow." America reminded her. "So Luke can sit anywhere he likes."

"That went off perfectly." Maxon reiterated for Luke's benefit. "I promised I'd call your father and update him." Maxon turned toward one of his advisors, loosening his tie to get back to work.

"Dad?" Addy stepped forward, "Do you need any help before dinner?"

"Only if you want to spend the next half hour placating the governor of Whites. He wants more funding for the training base out there, wants to expand it to create more jobs. There's no room in the budget."

Addy squinted her face so tightly, one of her eyes closed.

Maxon laughed at her expression, "I thought so. Go on Bird, take the night off. You'll have your entire reign to deal with pesky governors."

Addy was happy to agree when he put it like that.

America and the littlest Schreaves headed down a hallway, Addy assumed they'd be using the set of stairs that was the closest to America's bedroom. Jamesy, Maisy, Addy, and Luke headed off their own way, more towards what would lead them to Luke's bedroom.

"I didn't embarrass my entire country. I haven't shamed my current family and all our ancestors." Luke beamed.

"Yet." Maisy ribbed.

"Hey." Addy flicked her sister on the shoulder.

"Stop." Maisy rubbed her shoulder, annoyed.

"I promise," Jamesy grinned at Luke, "If you stain your nation's reputation tomorrow, I'll do something just as bad to take some of the attention."

"What's this, a kind of suicide pact?" Luke laughed, but he looked relieved that the Schreave siblings would have his back.

"We won't let you suffer alone." Maisy promised with an evil grin.

Addy flicked her shoulder again, this time for insinuating that there would be suffering by saying "won't" instead of "wouldn't". Maisy retaliated by poking her tongue out at her sister and saying, "You know what? Just for that, I'm not telling you where I put your purple sweater."

"What? _You took my purple sweater_?" Addy demanded.

"You weren't using it."

"Maisy!"

"It looks better on me—" Maisy started taking the stairs two at a time to escape.

"Maisy! Where's my sweater? I'm not kidding! _Maisy!_ " But Maisy had ducked out on the second floor landing, and Addy didn't feel like dashing off to chase her down. Instead, she scowled.

Jameson cast a sympathetic glance Addy's direction, "Don't worry, sis. You can banish her first thing, once you're queen."

"I'm going to." Addy pouted.

"I know." Jameson nodded tolerantly.

"I'm going to banish her far. She'll have to live in the snow. _Without_ my sweater."

"Okay." Jameson said.

"It _will_ be okay when I banish her." Addy grumbled, and Luke chuckled behind her.

* * *

The following day played out like a more elaborate, more formal version of the previous afternoon. Addy and Bridget spent lots of time on Addy's hair and makeup, Addy wore a navy blue blazer over a white business dress to compliment her father's outfit of a navy blue suit with white tie and pocket square. Addy was going to be wearing her father's crown from when he was the Prince to remind everyone exactly who his heir was, as if there could be any doubt.

Addy and her family assembled on the steps of the Palace and waited, Illéan and New Asian press in attendance, filming and snapping pictures with wild abandon. This time, when a fleet of cars drove through the Palace gates, they bore the flags of New Asia. Addy squirmed at the sight of the delicate design of their flag, predominantly red, and wished she could ask Luke to remind her about the significance of each of the symbols. She remembered that they were supposed to represent each of the former Asian countries, which had banded together (some forcibly, some willingly) to become the entity known as New Asia. She remembered some of the names of those countries; Vietnam, the Philippines, Korea… Luke knew all of them. He knew all the names and all the appropriate symbols, and he'd tried to teach Addy, but Addy had been too distracted to learn. And now here she was, about to meet an emperor whose nation she only loosely understood.

Addy felt a hand on the small of her back. From the corner of her eye, she glanced over and saw that her dad had reached around America to give Addy a reassuring pat. Addy lifted her chin and let out the breath she'd been holding. She wasn't the Queen yet, her dad was going to take care of almost everything. Addy was still learning. No one expected Addy to know everything yet. She just had to keep reminding herself of that, and try to make herself believe it.

The New Asian Emperor was not the first out of the car. Their protocol was the reverse of Illéa's, and they emerged in order of the one farthest from the line of succession. In the Illéan monarchy, this was technically America, because she wasn't in the line of succession at all, but Maxon treated her as his partner, so she always appeared next to him. The New Asians did the opposite, the Empress was always the first to appear, then her children in ascending order of age, then her husband.

Empress Jiaying was older than Aunt Kenna, but didn't look quite as old as Grandma Magda. Her black hair was knotted elegantly at the base of her neck, and she wore a long, lace dress in a gorgeous peachy pink color. Even with the steps of the Palace between them, Addy could see that this woman wasn't just beautiful, she was _regal_. She climbed the stone steps with the lightness of a feather aloft in a breeze, and when she curtseyed to Maxon, it was a fluid, practiced motion. Unlike Luke, the Empress was not the primary representative of her monarchy, so Maxon did not bow to her, but he did greet her with a warm smile and a nod. She and America shared a cheek kiss. The Empress curtseyed to every single Schreave kid, dipping lower and lower as the kids grew shorter. When she got to Rosie, it was an impressive curtsey indeed, and Rosie curtseyed right back because she thought it was fun. That little slip of protocol was too adorable for even Aunt Silvia to worry over.

The next person out of the car was a fourteen year old girl, Princess Tala. Addy could still vaguely remember when the news had come from New Asia that the Empress had given birth to a baby girl. Addy had gotten to help her mom pick the best present to send. At the time, Addy was still a little upset that Jamesy had turned out to be a boy and not a baby sister like she'd wanted, so she'd suggested every single toy of which she'd once dreamed of playing with a little sister. Her mom had actually chosen one of Addy's selections and had it sent over, along with other more stately, more meaningful gifts from the country of Illéa. Addy had felt very important and mature for a three year old.

Apparently, the princess had been an unexpected blessing on her entire empire. The Emperor and Empress' other children were both older than Addy, the Crown Prince was a full seven years older. According to palace insiders, though the Emperor and Empress had been fully satisfied with their two sons, the surprise and subsequent arrival of the baby princess had softened and enlivened the Emperor in a way that the arrival of his heirs had not. He shared a bond of burden with his sons, a special connection like the one Addy shared with Maxon, but the princess had been a baby with no formal obligations to the empire, and he'd carefully shielded her for all of her life from any undue burden. As a result, Princess Tala was as carefree and happy as any child in his empire, and he loved her endlessly.

Tala curtseyed dutifully to Maxon, then America, then Addy. Jamesy greeted her in her own language as he bowed, and Addy smiled over at her little brother. He'd prepared and practiced, even though it hadn't been his responsibility to formally greet their guests, and Addy was proud of him. Over the past few months it had become obvious that he would have made a fine heir to the throne for Maxon, but all the same, Addy was glad he would have choices and freedom in his life.

When Tala stood next to her mother, Prince Kovit emerged from the car. He was only a couple of years older than Addy, the same age as Luke. He was handsome and quick to smile, but everything else about him suggested the rigidity of tradition. Unlike in Illéa, the second born child of the Emperor of New Asia would serve an important ceremonial role for all of his life. It was a visible way to reassure the people in all corners of their expansive empire that the government was secure. Jamesy would get to choose how involved he'd want to be, helping Addy once she became queen. For Kovit, it had all been decided centuries ago.

The Crown Prince Sokha, the next out of the car, was tall, handsome, and Addy could only ever remember seeing him smile once. That had been in a photograph, Prince Kovit had whispered something to him during a parade that they were watching and the Crown Prince's serious mouth had split into a grin. Addy guessed that his serious facade was just that, a front for the public, a character he played so that the people would trust him when his father died and it was time for him to assume the throne. Addy had never had a moment alone with Sokha, though, so it was impossible to be certain.

Finally, Emperor Ryota emerged from the car. He was as tall as his heir, and his mouth was arranged in as straight a line, but the laugh lines around his eyes betrayed his true nature. Addy remembered seeing him before, when she'd been a child, and he'd had patches of grey at his temples. Now in his mid-fifties, Emperor Ryota's hair was nearly all silver, though Addy could still see lowlights of black.

He approached Maxon slowly and deliberately, and their bows to one another were the most calculated of gestures. Addy watched, breathless, knowing that this crucial moment was being broadcast live all over the world. It wasn't just her, she could feel the collective breaths of nations being held at the reunion of these two peacemakers.

The New Asian Emperor served until his death, so though Emperor Ryota was twenty years older than Addy's father (nearly a full term as king in Illéa), he'd become Emperor eight months _after_ Addy's father had become King of Illéa. And though the Crown Prince Sokha was in his mid-twenties, it would likely be decades before he became Emperor.

When Maxon had first become King, he'd immediately set to work on ending the war between Illéa and New Asia. Unfortunately, so many lives had been lost on both sides that no peace treaty ever seemed sufficient to the last Emperor, the one who had spent his entire life sending his soldiers to die fighting Clarkson's soldiers. There was nothing in the whole wide world that Maxon could offer in exchange for peace that would justify such a staggering loss, and it made negotiating the end of the war impossible.

Maxon had almost given up, had almost resigned himself to a ceasefire instead of a lasting peace treaty, when the old Emperor had developed pneumonia and, after a prolonged illness, succumbed. The new Emperor and his wife hadn't even finished the celebrations for their coronation when they'd boarded a plane and flown to the other side of the world to meet with Maxon and America and give the peace treaty one last try.

Maxon and Ryota were the sons of two warring monarchs, but neither of them wanted to fight one another. They'd both seen the toll it had taken on their countries and wholeheartedly agreed that peace would be its own reward after so many years of war. Maxon gifted certain military equipment to New Asia, things that would have been expensive to ship back home, anyway. Ryota lifted sanctions on Illéa, making travel and immigration between the two countries possible again. An economic trade agreement was hammered out right then and there, in the middle of the night after a long day of negotiations, over a pot of strong coffee. The men emerged on these very Palace steps the next morning to announce the news: the war was over.

Addy had seen pictures of civilians dancing in the streets that day. There had been parades and parties, celebrations all over Illéa and New Asia. Her favorites were the pictures of Illéan and New Asian soldiers, men who might have killed one another had the ceasefire failed before the war could be properly ended, sharing a feast at a military base.

All of this had happened before Addy had been born, but she'd studied the history, and she knew how much these two men meant to their own countries, and to each others'. It was through a great confluence of history that they became rulers at the same time, and were able to end the war. Both of their warmongering fathers had died untimely deaths, but if either one of them had survived, there was no telling how many more years the war might have gone on, nor how many more thousands of soldiers might have died.

When that careful, time-stopping bow between Maxon and Ryota finished, the two men embraced like old friends, and the citizens of Angeles who'd gathered at the gates to see their King and glimpse the Emperor broke into thunderous applause. Addy glanced down at Crown Prince Sokha to see if he was as intimidated by their fathers' relationship as she was. After all, they were the ones who would someday have to follow that incredible act. Of course, Sokha's face was a complete blank. Addy didn't know why she'd even tried.

* * *

That evening was the state dinner. The Emperor and Luke sat together with Maxon in between them as the host. The Queen and Empress sat side by side, and then their children alternated until Lief and Rosie, who had no New Asian counterparts, got to sit side by side as usual. Any remaining seats at the enormous table were filled with important advisers and diplomats, including Lady Elise Whisks-Lemex. Illéan and New Asian reporters came through with cameras to capture both posed and candid images, and then the meal was served.

The chef had prepared New Asian and English dishes in honor of their guests. America made a deal with Lief and Rosie ahead of time that they wouldn't complain about what they were served, they would politely take one bite of the strange new food, and then that night they'd get to have macaroni and cheese after bath time. The kids had taken this bargain without any negotiation, it was too good of a deal. Now, Rosie and Lief were really selling it, making loud 'mmm' sounds of satisfaction, despite the revulsion on their faces, as they tried kimchi for the first time. Addy buried her smirk in her glass of wine, finding Luke's eyes down the table. He was chuckling into a napkin. "Okay, Turkeys. That's enough." Maisy whispered, and Lief and Rosie sat their forks down, relieved. Between the second and third courses of the meal, Aunt Kenna arrived and ushered them upstairs to get ready for bed and make good on the macaroni agreement.

When the fifth course of the meal was complete and even Addy was growing restless in her seat, King Maxon stood and the rest of the room rose to their feet as a show of respect. The evening was over.

There was more diplomatic rigamarole involved with leaving the room, and then America went into hostess mode, showing their guests to their second floor suites. Maxon, the Schreave kids, and Luke all remained silent until they got past the guards on the third floor. Then it was like they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"I haven't accidentally declared war yet." Luke grinned at Maxon.

Maxon squeezed his shoulder, "You did a marvelous job, Lucas."

"Thank you, sir."

"You'll be in the meeting tomorrow, but you won't need to study ahead of time. We've got advisers to answer our questions about England's military bases, if any arise. Just take notes for your father, relay what we discuss. You're nearly done."

Luke smiled in relief at the very idea, then reached up and removed his crown, "I feel as if I'm Addy's Cinder girl, at the most horrible ball in the world. I can't wait to turn back into myself again."

Addy giggled, imagining Luke as the cinder girl from her favorite fairytale. "Your fairy godmother gave you a magnificent gown, Luke."

Luke looked down at his suit and curtseyed to her, "Thank you, your Highness."

Maxon peeled off with Maisy when they got to her bedroom, just to spend a few minutes one on one. He'd drop by Jamesy's room next, and then he'd likely join Addy, but it wouldn't be for casual chitchat. They'd be discussing the meeting the next day.

Addy dropped Luke off at his bedroom, but he stopped her before they said goodnight.

"Addy, I just… I don't know if you know…"

"What?"

"You're doing a tremendous job this weekend."

"Oh." Addy shifted on her feet, grateful for the platitude, "Thanks Luke, you too."

"No Adrienne, listen to me, I mean it. You've not had a single misstep so far, your conversations at dinner with the New Asians were charming and self-possessed. You've obviously prepared for this summit, but you've also got something that can't be taught, something you inherited from your parents. You can control a room with nothing more than a tilt of your head."

"Luke, I'm not doing anything different than usual." Addy shrugged, hugging her arms over her stomach. "I've been to dozens of these summits, I'm just trying to get by."

Luke nodded his understanding, "I know you can't see it, but I can. You weren't just _King Maxon's heir_ back there, you were the next Queen of Illéa. Everyone could see it, and nobody doubted you for a heartbeat. When we're in that meeting in the morning and you start to doubt yourself, I want you to remember what you look like on the outside. You're not just _Addy_ when you turn on that diplomatic charm, you're the _future Queen Adrienne Schreave_."

"Do you think they're different people?" Addy asked quietly. It was a question everyone in her entire family contended with from time to time, and she knew the English royal family did, too. They had public personas and private personas, and there was a line between them that was blurry on the best of days. What was the difference between King Maxon and Maxon Schreave? What was the difference between Addy and Princess Adrienne Schreave? Addy was starting to learn more about regular Addy, ever since starting university. But she hadn't had many opportunities to test that new knowledge by comparing regular Addy to Princess Adrienne.

"I don't think they're different people at all." Luke leant against his doorframe, thoughtfully poking his hands in his pockets. "I think that _the future queen_ is you under intense pressure. And I think _Addy_ is you on a soft day. The only difference is—"

"One's coal and one's a diamond?" Addy smirked, teasing.

Luke didn't take the bait and reply with his own joke, though. He just studied her intently and said, "You're a diamond in any event. I think it's more about how much fortification you put between yourself and the world. See here?" he ran his thumb gently along the side of her crown, just above her ear. "You're wearing the future queen's armor, but your fortifications are otherwise down. You're being gentle with me. But at the dinner, your fortifications were raised and every word, every gesture, was a parry and strike; you were a general in another type of battle, and everything was a calculation in an effort to win the day."

Addy took her time chewing through the imagery. Luke had always had a way of being able to ignite her imagination with his own. Addy had never enjoyed a history lesson more than when it was coming from Prince Lucas; hands waving for emphasis, eyes alight with excitement, describing ancient kings and medieval battles so clearly and excitingly that Addy could see them playing out like movies in her head.

"Did I win the day, Luke?" she asked, curious how this story ended.

"You've no idea." he said simply. "You've absolutely no idea. None of us get to know how we look to other people, that's just the way of it, but I have the tremendous good fortune of being able to see you, Addy. I wish you could. I wish you could see how much you won the day."

Addy smiled gratefully at his words and then leant in, hugging him, careful not to stab his neck with her crown. Luke heaved a deep, heavy sigh through his nose. Then he said, "We'll grow into these crowns yet."

"Yeah," Addy agreed, thinking of how much they'd both changed in the last six months."I think we will."

* * *

At the meeting the following morning, Addy sat between her father and Adviser Evander, with Lady Elise on Evander's other side. Luke sat on Maxon's other side, and the New Asian Emperor, Crown Prince Sokha, and their chief advisers mirrored the Illéans perfectly so that each person was sitting across from their direct counterpart. Meeting room A had never looked so much a like a chessboard, everyone lined up to defend their King. It was work, in a setting like this one, to remember that they were all allies now and they were here to be helpful to each other.

Behind each monarch stood two translators, one provided by the Illéans, one provided by the New Asians. This ensured that all translations would be as accurate as possible, though the New Asian Emperor spoke excellent english, and Luke knew a moderate amount of at least one New Asian language. It was all part of the diplomatic dance.

Assistants came around the room and deposited papers in front of everyone. Satellite images of the Chengdu province, where the military skirmishes were occurring. There were two packets, one of the valley in famine, one of the string of villages under rebel control.

Emperor Ryota began speaking, and through the female translator behind Maxon, Addy heard, "Our initial tactic, to attack the villages via two fronts, north and south, has proven successful so far. It has choked the rebel-controlled villages off from the valley, and drawn away the rebels who were stopping aid from reaching the citizens within. Our first shipment of food and medicine should arrive by the end of the week."

"That's wonderful news." Maxon said.

Emperor Ryota nodded his agreement, even before the formal translator behind him was finished speaking. "Indeed, Illéa has our thanks for every mouth that is filled by this turn of events. But liberating the valley was not the mission."

Addy watched from the corner of her eye as Maxon gave a single nod, just one, and Ryota continued, "The element of surprise is gone. Progress has slowed. The report from the troops on the ground is that they're spread too thin, divided between northern and southern fronts."

There was a pause. "Do the generals on the ground recommend consolidating?"

"The southern general wishes to remain, to continue engaging with the rebels who were terrorizing the valley. If the southern front dissolves now, the famine will not be broken." The Emperor explained.

Addy watched her father, watched his eyes fall from the emperor to the table between them. This meant something to him, something he didn't like, but Addy didn't know what.

"What do they recommend, your imperial Majesty?" Maxon asked simply.

"Additional troops. Reinforcements. Several thousand." The translation was broken by pauses between each sentiment. Now Addy understood what had been the cause of her father's displeasure. _Thousands_ more? _Thousands_ more lives in jeopardy? Addy tried to visualize thousands in her mind, tried to make it real. She had four siblings. She tried to imagine having eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. She was already failing to properly imagine all of the people, and she hadn't even reached 'busy morning at the bakery' levels yet. _Thousands_?

Maxon turned to Addy, a broad gesture that was jarring compared to the tiny glances they'd been restricting themselves to all weekend. He did not want anyone to think he wanted to hide this. He said, "What do you think, Adrienne?"

Addy lifted her eyes from the paper to meet her father's gaze. "I hate to put more soldiers in danger."

"I agree."

"Is the assessment right? Does it have to be thousands? Could it be any less than that?"

Maxon pressed his lips together firmly, and Addy knew the answer already. But he elaborated so that she would understand, "Your grandfather sent surges of troops every opportunity he got. If the Generals so much as hinted that they could use reinforcements, more draftees were shipped over. I found it appalling. I'm sure Emperor Ryota is as appreciative of your reticence to use too much force as I am."

Emperor Ryota nodded magnanimously.

"That being said, this situation is very different." Maxon said, "If the Generals truly believe that we need more troops on the ground, it could be dangerous not to supply them. Having too few soldiers in a battle is the difference between minor losses and major losses, both of territory and life."

"Loss of life?" Addy raised her eyebrows.

"If our soldiers are outnumbered by the enemy, or even if they aren't but the ratio is wrong, it could lead to unnecessary deaths."

"Then we're sending thousands more troops?" Addy asked.

Maxon looked down at his copy of the satellite images. "Do you see another way?"

The whole table fell silent. Addy studied the papers in front of her closely. She was sure that, if there was a better way, somebody would have found it by now. Still, she wasn't going to send thousands of troops overseas into harm's way without at least giving the question some serious thought.

From across the table, Ryota spoke in english for the first time in the whole meeting, "Maxon, that is such a difficult question…"

His tone was reproachful, almost pitying Addy. He was suggesting, through his tone of voice, that Maxon have mercy and make the decision for Addy.

Addy straightened her shoulders and squared her chin. Ryota wasn't trying to be condescending to her, but she wanted to prove to him that she was capable.

"If our generals are right, then the men and women we've already sent to the Chengdu province would be in danger without additional help."

"That's right." Maxon said.

"We owe it to those soldiers to make sure we support them in every way we can. Why send them to New Asia in the first place if we weren't going to give them what they needed when they got there? We chose how many troops to send in the first place based on the best intel we had at the time. Our intel is better now that we have soldiers in the region."

"That's true." Maxon agreed.

"It's a disservice to our soldiers to leave them high and dry without the backup they need, if they really need it." Addy concluded.

"I agree." Maxon nodded.

"So the question is, when they claim to need reinforcements, do we trust our generals? And if the answer is no, then we need to replace them immediately. And if the answer is yes, then we need to send the troops." Addy reasoned.

Maxon's eyes crinkled in the corners, a proud smile that he managed to stop before it overtook his lips. This was a serious discussion, he didn't want to look like he was taking it lightly, but all the same, Addy knew he was pleased.

"Adrienne, that's the second time you've ordered troops to New Asia." Maxon warned her despite his approval of her choice.

Addy nodded, frowning. She didn't like it, but she knew it was right. "Our soldiers aren't just doing what's best for the New Asian empire, they also happen to be doing what's right for humanity. There are innocent civilians in need of help in the Chengdu province, and our soldiers are on a mission to bring it to them."

Maxon nodded his agreement, just once, then returned his posture and attention to Emperor Ryota. "How many troops can you supply?"

"I can spare 1000 without risk to other provinces." The Emperor said through his translator.

It was an anemic number, but Illéa's military was the largest in the world by quite a lot. King Maxon had used the military industry to help prop up the economy during the transition from the caste system, and it had provided much needed stability. He'd started working with General Leger to wind down military spending over the last five years, but they still had a ways to go before they were at the same levels as the rest of the world.

"Then Illéa will send 2000, provided England is willing to allow use of their bases for refueling."

Luke blinked, suddenly involved in the conversation. Neither Ryota nor Maxon looked to Luke for a decision, they knew he was there acting on his father's behalf, but Luke replied instantly, "England stands ready to support Illéa in whatever way it can. Our bases are at your disposal."

Maxon turned that proud look from earlier onto Lucas now, who blushed scarlet at it. "Thank you, son. That means the world to me."

Addy thought about what it meant, in the diplomatic world of pirouetting on the razor's edge of an international incident at all times, to have a friend and ally who would truly do anything to help and support you. It probably really did mean the world to Maxon, and it was starting to mean more and more to Addy, too.

Maxon dismissed the advisers, and Ryota did the same. They cleared the room. The meeting was over.

Ryota came around the table to talk to Maxon, who was standing and gathering his papers together. "You know," he said in english, "I've got to find a way to thank you for your help. Is there something we can negotiate while I am here? Maybe open our trade deal again, look for something to help Illéa's economy?"

Maxon pinched the bridge of his nose at the thought, "Honestly, that trade deal is working for both of our countries. It's more trouble than it's worth, opening it up and poking at it this weekend. I'll tell you what, you keep that thanks you owe Illéa and spend it on Addy someday. She might need something when she's queen."

Addy gaped at her father but Ryota just smiled, "A request I will be more than happy to grant."

With a bow, the New Asians left the room and Addy slumped in her chair. Maxon chuckled at her, "Your mother does the same thing after a long meeting."

Lady Elise knocked on the door and curtseyed her way inside.

"Well?" Maxon asked, and by his tone he was clearly asking her opinion.

Lady Elise said, "I figured they'd be asking for more. I'm glad you listened. I can't think of a single thing they'd be unhappy about."

"Dad?" Addy looked up at her father from where she was slouched.

"What is it, Bird?"

"What if the intel changes again? What if the generals say they need more troops? And more after that? When do we stop supporting them?" She was thinking of what Martin had said to her, weeks ago, in the bakery. The people were worried that they'd have to send more and more of their children to New Asia, and Addy had reassured Martin that the conflict wouldn't grow. Only now, it had.

Maxon sighed through his nose and shook his head, looking up at the ceiling as though seeing the heavens. "Oh, Birdy. That's the question kings and queens have been asking forever. I can't pretend I'm any better at this than they were, sweetheart, I wish I could. I don't know, exactly. But we have a clear mission, to liberate the villages from rebel control and clear out as many rebels as possible while we do it. If we stay focused on the mission, the assessment on the ground shouldn't balloon too much. If we broaden the scope of the mission to include more objectives, the assessment might grow. If we broaden it so much that the mission isn't clear anymore, then we're in real trouble."

"Like what?" Addy asked, unable to imagine it.

"Like… what if we were fighting to 'defeat evil' instead of to restore control of these specific villages in this province. Can you imagine how many troops it would take to 'defeat evil'?"

Addy scoffed darkly, "No."

"The generals wouldn't have a good idea, either, but they'd guess because that's their job. That's an exaggerated example, but you get the idea. As long as we keep it specific, the generals will know what they're doing, and their estimates will be accurate."

"Okay." Addy stood up, stretching her back. "No defeating evil today, then."

"No. Absolutely no defeating evil under any circumstances." Maxon agreed.


	23. Chapter 22

The 600 year old treatise, poorly copied with tiny font, that Addy was trying to decipher dissociated into meaningless mush in her mind. Dearwood wanted them to know these documents inside and out, and be able to use them to defend or attack current political ideologies, and she wanted them to be ready to do that by tomorrow.

To buy herself a moment, Addy sipped some tea from her redbird mug and fiddled with her yellow highlighter. All these words had meanings… the construction was strange, but she could decipher it… she just had to do it.

Do it now.

Now.

… _Now._

Across from her, Lenore arched an eyebrow knowingly, "Well?"

"It means… that men… have rights." Addy announced.

Lenore rolled her eyes. Addy had just rearranged the words in the title of the treatise.

Addy tried again, "You know, rights, like equality and… privacy?"

"You're embarrassing yourself. You're describing the wrong treatise."

"Oh." Addy pouted. "In my defense, this is the fifth one tonight."

Lenore huffed out a breath through her nose. They'd chosen to divide and conquer, they'd do two treatises each and summarize the arguments for each other, then they'd do the last one together. The last one was, inconveniently, the one that both of their brains decided to melt into puddles during. She glared at her own copy and said, "The beginning is just insulting a political rival, we don't need much from it… here, this line: _When the tongue or the pen is let loose in a frenzy of passion, it is the man, and not the subject, that becomes exhausted._ We should keep that line and use it if Dearwood wants us to attack another ideology."

"Okay." Addy sighed more than said.

Lenore turned that glare from the paper up to Addy, then said softly, "You're tired?"

"We've been at it for hours. I think I just need to do something else for a minute."

Lenore leant back in her seat, "Hmm. That probably has value, letting our brains process for a few minutes. What do you want to do?"

Addy stood up and stretched, "I need to get out of this room. I'm going stir crazy. How about you?"

Lenore looked around Addy's common area. It was a quiet, clean space with plenty of room to study, virtually devoid of distraction. It was her idea of heaven. Still, a walk around the block would get some oxygen in their blood, and that would help their brains. She slid on her jacket.

Addy took this as her cue, wrapping herself in her own jacket and stuffing her hands in her pockets. She waited by the front door for Officer Trawler, who tapped Weaver's bedroom door to announce that they were leaving, grabbed a radio from the charging stand near the front door, and swept the door open grandly for Addy and Lenore. Addy giggled at his overdramatic bow, but Lenore didn't find it amusing. It wasn't sufficiently different enough from the way people had to treat Addy normally to be amusing.

When they were down the front steps and off into the chilly night, Lenore cocked her head to the side. Addy glanced over and knew, just from the quiver in her friend's cheek, that she was about to start talking about their homework again. Addy needed to stop thinking about dead men and their opinions on the human condition, so she quickly chirped, "So my mom is hosting the Palace Egg Roll the day before Easter. She always fundraises for one of her causes, and this year she's raising money for local province governments to buy more land for public schools."

"Good."

It was one word, but Lenore didn't mean it dismissively or sarcastically, she genuinely approved of what the Queen was doing. That word wouldn't be half as meaningful coming from anyone else.

"She and my baby sister called me last night—"

"Princess Rosalynn?" Lenore asked, peeking over with interest.

Addy smiled, "Yeah, Rosie. She's getting excited. She's finally old enough to _really_ remember what each holiday is, and she can't wait to put on a colorful dress and collect eggs." They rounded a corner and continued around the block. "Anyway, since the whole party is to benefit public education, Mom said she wanted to invite some of my fellow students from school. She asked about you specifically."

"Did she?"

Addy smiled, "Yeah. She likes you."

Lenore tilted her head in total disbelief, "I've hardly spoken more than a few words to her."

"Then she likes what I've told her about you."

Lenore searched for a retort but came up empty. It was just a nice compliment. "Okay."

Addy grinned at the terse response, "So, is that something you'd like?"

Lenore weighed her response carefully, "I'm not interested in being a prop for a Palace press release."

Addy fought off the flare of defensiveness she felt at those words with a deep breath, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to pose for pictures next to your mother like she's some benevolent savior who's given me my education."

" _Lenore_." Addy scowled.

"What?"

"No one would think that. The Queen's invited guests are poster children for success, people would look at you and see a bright future."

"I'll never be the Queen's lackey."

Addy rolled her eyes in an enormous exaggeration, "For crying out loud, Lenore, we won't take pictures of you then, okay? You won't be in any group photos with my mom, you won't go home with anything to hang on your mantel and show your grandchildren, you won't have any good stories to tell at parties and impress your future coworkers with. Does that make you happy?"

"Okay," Lenore shrugged casually, as if they'd been discussing what to eat for dinner, "Sounds fun."

"Just like that?" Addy couldn't believe Lenore had stopped fighting so abruptly.

"Sure."

Addy glared over at her friend only to find a mischievous, teasing grin on Lenore's face. Lenore cackled at Addy's distress as Addy's eyes widened, betrayed, "You only did any of that to annoy me?"

"What, stand by my principles? I can see how somebody with principles who won't give you exactly what you want could be an annoyance to you, _your Highness_." she mocked.

Addy reached out and grabbed Lenore's hand, dragging her across the street toward a new destination. "We're going to the store. I need ice cream if I'm going to have to deal with your _principles_ for the rest of the night."

* * *

Most of the ten Kings University students invited to the Palace Easter celebration as guests of the Queen were friends of Kile, Meri, and Luke. In the end, Addy had only had two important names to put on her mother's list, and both of them were approved by security: Lenore Lee and Martin Sinclair.

Martin and Addy had a long talk the Thursday night before Easter. Addy didn't know if her mother or father knew that Martin was her boyfriend, she didn't know how much information her guards were really communicating to Uncle Aspen, and what part of that was making its way to her father. She'd told Aunt May Martin's name, and she had no reason to think Aunt May wouldn't turn right around and tell the rest of the Singer sisters. And even if she hadn't done, both of her parents knew she was interested in a boy, and it wouldn't take much guesswork to conclude that the only boy Addy invited to the party might be that very mystery boy.

Basically, Addy had no real expectation that their relationship would be private from her family.

That being said, she couldn't take Martin as her _official_ date to an _official_ Palace event. There would be press there, not just Uncle Gavril and the Palace press corps, and showing up with Martin would be tantamount to declaring open season on him and his family. She was still so happy with him, she wanted to protect what they had for as long as she could. Late at night, when everything else was quiet in Addy's mind, she often reminded herself that someday she would publicly declare her relationship with Martin, and then everything would become complicated and public and open for debate amongst old politicians and young gossip columnists alike. But during the day, with so much else competing for space in her head, it was easy to shove those thoughts to the deepest fathoms of her mind.

So Addy and Martin made a plan to keep their distance from each other at the party while the cameras were around, and to try to give off friendly vibes, instead of romantic ones, whenever they interacted. Addy would pretend Martin was Kile, and Martin would pretend Addy was Lenore. That would be more than enough to shield them, they reasoned.

Because Addy didn't know how much her family was going to have figured out about her relationship with Martin ahead of time, Addy had no guarantees about what it would be like for Martin to meet her family. She knew they'd be nice, of course, but the threshold for awkwardness was alarmingly variable. Everything was possible, from polite conversation to a full grilling from her Uncle James and Uncle Gerad. Martin promised to brace himself for the worst, offering her a brave little smile. It was so adorable, Addy couldn't stop herself from kissing it. Thus, their strategizing came to an end for the evening.

Addy went home to the Palace as early as she could on Friday night (she refused to miss class for a Palace event twice in one semester). Luke, Meri, and Kile would ride over together the following morning, and the Queen's guests would all have cars sent for them on Sunday.

Lief and Rosie were waiting to greet her in the kitchens, telltale smears of chocolate on their faces proving that their motives for meeting her hadn't been purely selfless, they'd also wanted to sneak treats from gullible cooks.

Addy squeezed them tightly, then held their hands and escorted them up to the first floor. When they made it to the hallway where Addy's parents kept their offices, Lief latched on to one of Addy's legs and Rosie grabbed the other. Addy trudged, to raucous giggles, all the way to her mother's office.

"You guys… are getting… too big…" Addy huffed dramatically.

"No!" Lief laughed. It was the only time he argued against being a big kid.

"Faster!" Rosie demanded.

"Does Maisy ever do this? This could be amazing training for her leg muscles…" Addy gasped for breath as she paused and allowed a guard to open her mother's office door for her. She shuffled through, careful not to hit a child on the doorframe.

"You should tell Maisy to let us." Lief said as he redoubled his grip. His birthday was the following month, he'd be eight. Addy was willing to bet that this time next year, he wouldn't be going for any rides on her legs. He'd be too near nine, which was too near ten, which was too near a teenager for that kind of play. Addy brushed a hand through his red hair as the kids released her and ran for their mother. Her only redheaded sibling, the one that kept her from being an oddball amongst the Schreave brood. She was excited to see who he'd become when he wasn't a child anymore, but she had to admit, she'd miss who he was now.

"My babies!" America spun in her desk chair to give the Littles access for a hug, "Were you on your best behavior downstairs?"

"Yes, Mommy." Rosie wiped her lips nervously.

America laughed at the gesture, able to see the chocolate as clearly as Addy had, "Well thank you very much for bringing your sister to me. Aunt Kenna and I made some great plans for the party while you took care of that for us."

"You're welcome." Lief beamed at his own usefulness.

"Now it's time for you to get ready for dinner. Addy and I will be in the dining room as soon as we can."

"We can stay and help some more." Lief offered.

"You've already helped so much." America reassured him. "Go on ahead, we won't be long."

Aunt Kenna stood and kissed Addy on the cheek, gesturing for her youngest niece and nephew to follow along. "It's good to see you, Bird." she greeted Addy, waving on her way out the door.

America stood and rounded her desk, stepping off of the platform that raised her up above her visitors. "How are you, sweetheart?" she asked as she came in for a hug.

"Good, Mom."

"I'm glad you made it back in time to help with some of this." America gestured to the stacks of swatches on her desk.

"All the vendors are lined up, right?"

"Absolutely."

"The menu is approved?"

"We need to taste it tomorrow morning."

"You saved the tasting for me?" Addy laughed. It was their favorite part of planning any party together. They got bite sized portions, as many as they wanted, of all the best dishes, and they didn't have to be on their best royal behavior as they enjoyed the samples.

"Believe me, your Aunt Silvia looked about ready to retire on the spot when I told her how late I was leaving the tasting." America chuckled.

"She's used to us by now." Addy reasoned with a grin.

"Yeah. I think she was secretly glad that you'd be there."

Addy peeked around America's desk, tracing a finger over the swatches still waiting to be selected. "Mom, when I… in a few years, when I'm Queen, will my husband take over the Egg Roll?"

"I hope so. If he wants it. He'll certainly take over other hosting responsibilities, even if he lets some of my innovations lapse."

Addy wondered how good Martin would be at planning parties. "Will you help him?"

"Of course! You know your father and I are going to help you in every way that we can."

"I know. It's just… you're going on your big vacation for the first year, and I think that's going to be the hardest part for us, learning how to do everything by ourselves…"

America reached out and took Addy's hand with a squeeze, "We'll have telephones, your husband will have had practice with the wedding by then, and if there's ever an emergency, you know your father and I wouldn't rest until we got to you. Vacation or no."

"A catering emergency?" Addy tilted a skeptical eyebrow.

America gently nodded her head to the side, allowing the exception. "Well, maybe not a catering emergency. But Birdy, your Aunt Marlee has been training to take over Aunt Silvia's duties since before you were born. She's going to be a complete professional at planning these things, and she'll be here to help your husband."

Addy had totally forgotten about that. Her parents would be gone, but she'd still have a whole Palace full of help. She smiled, relieved. Martin and Aunt Marlee would get along great, they'd plan a great Palace Egg Roll.

"What do we need to do before dinner?" Addy asked, weight off her shoulders for the time being.

"Which local fabric supplier are we going to make rich and famous this time?" America asked, gesturing to the array of tablecloth swatches on her desk. Working together, they found the perfect one.

* * *

Addy woke up on Easter Sunday morning with a little brother in her bed.

"Lief?" she yawned, surprised to find the sleeping lump beside her. How long had he been there? She hadn't woken up when he'd climbed in. He must have been careful to keep from disturbing her.

At the sound of her voice, Lief curled on his stomach, turned his head on the pillow toward her, and snored. He was still fast asleep. Addy stifled a giggle to keep from waking him.

She sat up and sipped from the glass of water on her bedside table, remembering with a jolt of excitement that Martin would be meeting her family for the first time in just a few hours. After a minute, the door to her bedroom creaked open just a sliver, and Maxon poked his head inside.

His face relaxed with relief, "Ah. I was afraid we'd lost one." he whispered.

Addy grinned and said in a quiet tone of voice, "Couldn't find one of your sons?"

"That's why I made your mother give me two." he joked, then crossed over to Addy's bed and sat by her feet. He reached up to Lief's back and rubbed, "Wake up, sleepy head."

Lief squeaked and stretched, one of his little hands balling into a fist and accidentally pushing against Addy's side.

"Time for breakfast. Rosie's waiting for you." Maxon continued. Lief yawned widely and peeked an eye open, deciding to cuddle against Addy instead of get up.

"Come on son, we've got a big party today." Maxon reminded him.

Lief was clearly falling back asleep, his one open eyelid slowly, heavily drifting downward.

Maxon met Addy's amused look with an exasperated one. "This boy is all America, I tell you." he grumbled.

Addy giggled at her redheaded brother, clearly able to see her mother in his obstinately sleepy features, "What are you going to do?"

"I'll do the same as I do with her." he said, pretending to be giving a grim diagnosis. Then he placed one hand on each of Lief's ankles and pulled.

Lief was dragged from Addy's side, giggling and wiggling, and up into Maxon's arms.

Addy laughed as Lief was slung on his father's shoulder and kidnapped from her room.

"Oh," Maxon turned in the doorway, as if he didn't have a squealing seven year old on his back, "Breakfast is ready in the family room."

"I'll be right there." Addy laughed, and with that Maxon nodded and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Addy and Bridget brought everything Addy would need to get ready for the party into America's bedroom, and America and Addy got ready together. Natalia and Bridget worked together to coordinate complimentary hair and makeup styles, and America and Addy used the time to catch up.

It had been the busiest spring America had ever had as Queen. She'd booked herself solid with events and public appearances, and it was all in an effort to keep the people sympathetic toward the royal family, even as Maxon (and Addy) maintained troops engaged in conflict in New Asia.

Addy asked if there was anything she could do to help, but America reassured her that just being a model student at school was plenty. It gave Maxon and America something to brag about on the _Report_ , a way to remind the public that they were a couple of proud parents just like any other Illéan out there with children.

America asked Addy about school, about Meri and Kile and Luke, making sure everyone was healthy and happy. Addy wanted to tell her mother about Martin, about the dates they'd been going on, about picnics in the park at sunset and impromptu dancing when they came across a string quartet rehearsing for an audition, about all the little things that added up to a very big thing: the way that she felt about Martin.

But she also wanted to give Martin a fighting chance at this party today. The chance to meet her parents without them realizing exactly how important he was to her was invaluable, and they'd never have the opportunity again. Her parents might have figured out that Addy liked him, but until she told them, they wouldn't realize that she _loved_ him.

It was a word Addy had only recently started allowing herself to think. No version of 'like' was strong enough anymore, and she'd already known Martin longer than her parents had even dated before her father had proposed to her mother. Love wasn't out of the question, therefore, and the word felt so seductively right on her tongue.

She'd tell Martin soon, and then she'd tell her family. They'd figure everything else out from there.

So instead of giving away her secret, Addy talked to America about Lenore and their foreign relations seminar. She talked about how glad she was to be learning so much, so fast, even if it was a headache, because she'd hate to have to rely on advisers to teach her everything, possibly only when an international incident was at hand. She felt so much more confident now, even just passing advisers in the hallway. She talked about how Lenore held her feet to the fire and wouldn't let her slack off on studying, even when she really, _really_ wanted to. And how, as a Princess, it was rare to find someone outside of her own family who wouldn't give in and tell her whatever she wanted to hear or acquiesce to Addy's every whim.

America asked Addy if she thought Lenore could be convinced to come and work for the Palace after graduation.

Addy laughed, long and hard, at the very idea of Lenore Lee working for the Palace.

Lenore, Addy explained, was far more likely to start a rival government and dismantle the monarchy by sheer force of will than become a monarchist bureaucrat. America had a good laugh at that, then encouraged her daughter to try to convert Lenore anyway.

"Everyone wants to be _friends_ with the Queen, Addy, it's much harder for Her to find _allies_."

Addy emerged from the Palace, down the steps, and into the gardens on Luke's arm, following ten feet behind her parents, and followed by Jamesy and Maisy, then Lief and Rosie. As the only visiting royal at the Egg Roll, Luke had to make as grand an entrance as Addy did, so as they had so many times before in their lives, they simply escorted each other and kept things simple.

"You look lovely." Luke complimented Addy's mint green, floral dress.

"Thanks. You look dashing. Vanessa's going to love that informal collar on you."

Luke winced and shook his head, "Vanessa isn't going to see it. She's not here."

"What? _Why?"_

"She refused to come, actually." Luke did his best imitation of nonchalance, but he was a terrible actor.

"She _refused_ a Palace invitation?"

"It wasn't the Palace she objected to, not really. It was me. She doesn't want to be seen with me."

Addy laughed until she realized he wasn't joking, "…Is she insane?"

"She…" Luke grimaced, then focused his attention on the cameras snapping pictures of the two of them. The press was moving on from Maxon and America, turning their attention to Addy and Luke, "We'll talk about it another time."

"We certainly will." Addy said in a tone that told Luke he would not be let off the hook from this conversation. She absentmindedly touched at the side of her tiara, feeling for its perfect placement, then returned her hand to Luke's arm and smiled as charmingly and politely and engagingly as Aunt Silvia had ever taught her to do.

When the photographs were done, Addy, Jamesy, and Maisy joined their parents in making rounds of conversation with guests. They had to start with governors, mayors, and advisers, then they'd get to work their way over to guests of the Queen, like Martin and Lenore and apparently not Vanessa.

Addy gave genteel, delicate little handshakes and laughed politely, trying to keep pace as best she could with her parents. At one point, her mother fell behind, stuck in conversation with a particularly talkative governor. Addy tried to extend her own conversation a bit longer so that she wouldn't overtake her mother and mess up the order of their greetings. People expected to be greeted by the Queen before being greeted by the Princess.

Addy watched as America smiled politely and then tucked a piece of red hair behind her ear, pausing a moment to adjust her earring by tugging at it.

Not three seconds later, Maxon was at her side, apologizing for the interruption and begging to steal America away because he was having a riveting conversation with a mayor just over there and they desperately needed her input.

Addy had no idea how her father had realized her mother was in distress. Was it more of their trademark telepathy? However they'd managed it, it was flawless and as choreographed as a dance. Addy wondered how many years she'd have to be married before her future husband would be able to rescue her like that. She liked to imagine Martin whisking her away from boring conversations like some kind of well-mannered royal getaway driver.

Addy concluded her current conversation and took her turn with the talkative mayor, but he had much less to say to the teenaged girl than he'd had to say to her mother. Addy supposed her own crown wasn't shiny enough to attract many sycophants yet. In a few years she'd wear her father's crown, it would act as a beacon, and then they'd never have enough to say to her. Addy worked to keep her expression pleasant, even as her thoughts drifted to this most unpleasant prospect.

Luke brought her a glass of champagne after a moment, freeing her from her obligations to greet the governors, mayors, and advisers because she was technically attending to a royal guest who outranked them by many, many degrees.

"Looks like Jamesy is taking over for you." Luke said casually, as Jamesy stepped forward to fill Addy's gap.

"He's good at that."

"He and I have a lot in common. We're both good little spares." Luke said with a grim tone of voice.

Addy looked at him from the side of her eye reproachfully, "We heirs need that kind of help, you know. It's the only thing that makes our responsibilities bearable, having someone to step in when we need a moment to catch our breaths."

Luke nodded his understanding, sipping from his own flute. He turned toward the refreshment table, away from the visibility of prying eyes. After a moment, Addy did the same. Now, with no one able to read his lips, Luke felt free to say in a hushed voice, "Vanessa doesn't want to be the girlfriend of a Prince of England. She's happy to be _my_ girlfriend. It's the Prince part she won't accept."

"Why on earth not?"

"She only gets one chance to establish her name in the public sphere. She wants to be known for her talents and skill, for her work. If she goes public with me now, she'll forever be 'the girl who dated that prince once'."

"She could be the girl who married that prince." Addy reminded him.

"Even worse. Then what respect would her name command her, trying to build her career?"

"She'd be famous overnight."

"She wants to be famous much, much more slowly than that." he downed the rest of his drink with a sigh. "I don't know how we get around it, Bird. We like each other, we even love each other, and we make a great match… but what do we do, short of pretend we're not dating for thirty years while she builds a fashion empire in her own name? And what if, in spite of our pretense, we're found out anyway? It would ruin her life."

Addy wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and promise him that everything would be okay, that they could figure it out if they thought hard enough about it, but she was Princess Adrienne at the moment, so she couldn't.

Instead, she squared her chin and said, "You're both incredibly smart people, and you said that you love each other? There's a way, it's just going to require some compromise."

Luke sighed and set his empty flute down on the table. "Vanessa doesn't get a do-over if the public get a whiff of our relationship and start circling her like sharks. One false step would haunt her for the rest of her life. What compromise could we possibly arrange?"

"But Luke… you said _love_."

"So? You of all people know that love is far from the only consideration for us."

Us. Royals. They had to find partners who were right for their monarchies, for the jobs that came with the crowns, for their families, for public perception, and then hope against hope that somehow their partners would also be people they could love. Love was last on the list of considerations, and had they been having this conversation the previous summer, Addy would have sided with Luke immediately.

But now Addy had watched her father's Selection, and she'd built a love herself. She understood now that it was worth fighting for and protecting, even when it wasn't convenient. Addy hadn't met Martin during her Selection, but she'd find a way through that complication. And Luke met a level-headed girl who loved him, not his crown. No royal could reasonably expect that to happen more than once or twice in a lifetime. He had to figure this out. Addy was determined to help him.

"I'm so sorry, Luke. Is there anything I can do? I could talk to her… help her plan how to navigate the public attention—"

"No. I won't try to convince her to do this if it's not what she really wants. It's a lot to ask of anyone, but what kind of person would I be if I asked it of someone who's already made it clear that she doesn't want it?"

"…Go …Go see Kile and Astra and Meri. I'll be over there soon. See if you can keep Kile and Astra from kissing too much in front of the cameras, it's indecent." He needed to get his head out of the dark and gloomy clouds, and once his feet were back on the ground, then they could keep looking for a way through this.

Luke smirked and nodded, "Good plan."

"Eat lots of chocolate, too." she advised.

"Right." he agreed sardonically, "What pain can't be cured by a little bit of chocolate?"

"Chocolate makes all things good." Addy smiled.

Luke turned to go, but Addy stopped him with a gentle touch of her fingers on wrist, "Luke? She'll change her mind. Give her time. We'll figure it out."

Luke didn't look convinced, "I don't know if she _should_ change her mind, Adrienne… I don't know if I want her to."

"Don't you want to be with her?" Addy asked, confused.

"Very much. But I also want the best for her. I don't know, with any certainty, that that's me. That that's _this_." he gestured to the cameras and the glad-handing statesmen and the maids and the butlers and it all added together to mean 'monarchy'.

Addy frowned, trying to wrap her head around it all. Surely Vanessa could be content to have her career helped by Luke's reputation? No one was saying she couldn't have her dream job if she stayed with Luke. What exactly would she even be sacrificing? A little bit of independence? Wasn't it worth it for Luke?

Luke turned away to join their friends, keeping his word and immediately intervening to put a stop to a rather long, drawn out kiss between Kile and Astra. They laughed at whatever he said to draw their attention away from each other, though their hands remained tightly clasped with one another's.

Addy caught up with Jamesy and finished greeting their guests with him. America waited for Addy to finish up, then looped arms with her so that they could go and greet the Queen's guests. Maxon followed closely behind.

"Mom, have you seen Aunt May today?"

"No, sweetheart. She wasn't feeling well. She and Uncle Ry are enjoying a well-deserved day off from this shark tank."

"Hm." This was good news, it meant that Aunt May wouldn't see Martin's name on the guest list and point it out to America. "Have you talked to her recently?"

"We talk all the time, Bird, why do you ask?"

So maybe America had already known the name anyway.

"No reason." Addy watched her mother's face, looking for any tell that she knew Addy had a boyfriend here, but her mother was in Queen America mode and she was the picture of professionalism, her face a pleasantly inscrutable mask.

Kile and Meri excitedly introduced their roommates, both of whom managed credible bows and curtseys as cameras clicked. Addy wondered if her friends had tutored them to get them ready for the Palace event. It was good to see Meri's roommate, Karra, again. Addy couldn't help but notice, though, that Karra wasn't looking at Addy the same way today that she had those months ago, when Addy had gone to her for help with boy troubles. Addy supposed she was being hypnotized by the crown, looking at her and seeing the Heir to the Throne of Illéa instead of a confused little first year girl in need of guidance.

Karra had brought one of her boyfriends, it seemed. Addy had never seen either of them, but this was a handsome boy who was Karra's age and he was standing just a half step closer than somebody without a romantic relationship would stand in public. Addy wondered how Karra'd chosen between her boys to decide who accompanied her today. Had she been forced to play favorites? She was sure Meri could have managed to get both boyfriends invited if she'd asked.

Addy didn't have time to dwell on her thoughts any longer, because America was moving down the line to greet Lenore.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Lee."

"Thank you for the invitation, your Majesty." Lenore said in an entirely pleasant tone Addy had never, not once, not ever heard from her friend's lips before. Addy narrowed her eyes skeptically. Was Lenore mocking her mother by being sarcastic? But if she was, there was absolutely no tell. It would be a poor form of satire to have absolutely no tell. Addy looked on in confusion as her mother and Lenore continued their entirely normal conversation. How was the car ride? It was very nice. Are you enjoying the party? Yes, it's wonderful. Miss Lee, have you tried the petit fours? Not yet, are they good? They're fantastic, you should snag one before we run out. Thank you for the tip, your Majesty.

They even laughed together.

Addy shook her head, mystified.

From behind them, Rosie came darting over from where she'd been in the middle of being spoiled by Grandma Magda at the dessert table.

"You're here!" Rosie exclaimed at Lenore, swooping past America to hug at Lenore's leg.

"I wouldn't have missed it." Lenore reassured the baby royal, patting her back to complete the hug.

"Addy said you were coming, but then I couldn't find you."

"I was just standing over here. I was probably hard to spot." Lenore consoled her.

"Look! Look!" Rosie pointed to her head, where two twin golden blonde french braids twisted softly down her head and onto her shoulders, each tied at the ends with a beautiful yellow ribbon. "We're sisters of hair!"

Lenore swept her own braids over one shoulder and bent down to be level with Rosie, "Yes, we are. Those are lovely braids."

"They took _forever_. I had to sit _so_ still." Rosie bragged.

"Really?" Lenore laughed, remembering when she'd told Rosie how long it took to have her own braids done.

"Yes, but now they're beautiful like yours."

"They're _gorgeous,_ Princess." Lenore said, and it wasn't fair. When Lenore called Addy 'Princess', it was always in a sharp, mocking tone that told Addy she was letting her privilege show. But when Lenore called Rosie 'princess', it was a term of endearment.

Rosie's face lit up like the sun as she said, "Will you help me find the eggs later? Can you be on my team?"

Lenore glanced at America and Addy, uncertain about the rules, but America nodded so Lenore said, "I'd love to. We'll work together to find the best eggs in the whole garden."

Addy couldn't even feel spurned. Since Rosie was born, Addy had been her egg searching partner, but it was impossible to feel rejected when Lenore and Rosie were being so adorable together.

From behind them, where Maxon had been bringing up the rear in greeting America's guests, he stepped forward and swept Rosie into his arms, her puffy skirt pillowing his arm. "Let's finish meeting everybody so the music can begin." he suggested to Rosie.

"Yeah." she agreed.

America stepped down the line and it was Martin she was facing.

Addy held her breath and watched, fingernails digging onto her palms as she waited to see what would happen.

"Hello, Mr. Sinclair." America held out her hand.

Martin took it and bowed, visibly sweating. "It's… It's an honor to m-meet you.." he stammered.

Addy pinched her lips together and straightened her shoulders, hoping he'd pick up on her confidence and mirror it. He looked so scared, but he'd greeted her mother perfectly according to protocol.

"You've taken classes with Adrienne, haven't you?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. Uh, your Majesty."

Maxon stepped forward with Rosie in his arms, "You must have made quite the impression."

"Uh, I—" Martin looked to Addy, panicked.

"He did. Martin's brilliant, Dad, he's one of the smartest students in the whole school." she bragged, catching Martin's eye.

"Really?" Maxon asked, eyebrows lifting.

Martin stammered, trying to lower expectations about how bright he was. Addy had no evidence to back up her claim, and he didn't want to disappoint the King and Queen.

"And what field are you interested in pursuing after university?" America asked, politely interested. This was the best possible outcome for their meeting. No intimidating uncles, no 'what are your intentions with my daughter', just a good, friendly meeting.

Martin gulped and managed, "I'm hoping to serve my country in a diplomatic capacity, your Majesty."

"Oh, that's wonderful." America met Maxon's eyes approvingly.

Approvingly.

This was better than Addy had ever hoped.

"We're trying to expand the offices of all of our ambassadors at the moment, this is the perfect time to be entering that field." Maxon agreed with his wife. "You'll need a few languages under your belt, of course—"

"Martin's studying a bunch of languages." Addy assured him, though she could have kicked herself for jumping in before giving Martin the chance to say so himself.

"Well, you're right on track then." Maxon said jovially.

"Enjoy the party, Martin." America said, moving on. Maxon and Rosie followed him, but Addy lingered behind.

"I have to go." Addy said. "I have to go stand with them when they start the formal programming, but after that I'm free."

Martin wasn't even making eye contact, he was stuck looking at her crown.

"Are you okay?" Addy asked, after a moment.

"Yeah." he tore his eyes away from the crown to meet hers for a second, then lifted them back to her head. "You… you look beautiful, Addy."

Addy smiled a little, "Thanks, Martin. You don't look so bad, yourself. You clean up nicely."

"I tried." he looked down at his own suit, frowning. "It's not up to Palace standards."

"No, you look great." Addy promised, but he didn't believe it. "It's a lot to get used to." Addy looked around the enormous garden party. "Just give yourself some time to settle in."

"They gave us a tour." Martin said, dumbfounded.

"Really?" Addy was disappointed. She wanted to give him his own tour. She'd wanted to be the one to show him her home.

"It's… pictures really don't do it justice. It's magnificent." but the way he said it, he was clearly overwhelmed.

"It's just a place, Martin."

"It's _not_ just a place. It's history. It's our entire country, from its founding all the way down to _you._ " he was stuck on her crown again.

Addy considered him, stopping herself from biting at her lip, "It's just me, Martin. You'll get used to the hardware, I promise. I have to go." she glanced to where her parents were nearly back to the orchestra. "I'll be back soon."

She hated that she had to leave him looking so stunned, but she knew he'd be alright once they got to spend a little time together.

She took her spot next to Jamesy and cheered America on as the Queen welcomed all the guests and kicked off the formal programming with a dance with Maxon. Afterward, Addy posed for a few pictures with her family, including Grandma Magda, Uncle Gerad, and all of Addy's cousins. Then it was time to hide the eggs.

All the children and their older teammates sat facing the stage and watched a performance by a few of Astra's friends from the Angeles ballet. Maids and butlers stood at the back, cheerfully ensuring nobody peeked behind them to spy where the eggs were being hidden.

For the first time in her life, Addy was joining the rest of the adults in hiding the shiny, plastic, colorful eggs all throughout the gardens instead of watching the performance with her little brothers and sisters. Her first instinct was to return to Martin, but she knew there would be a few photographs of the royal family participating in the festivities and she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to him. So instead, she hurried over to her dad, who was mid-conversation with Luke.

Maxon was very seriously passing on his best tips for hiding places to the English prince, the same look on his face as at war strategy meetings.

Addy stayed with them, laughing as Luke, egged on by Maxon, climbed one of the trees and left a plastic egg on the tip of a branch, in plain sight but well out of reach of all children and their helpers.

When Luke was down from the tree, Maxon shook his hand at their joint accomplishment, and Addy figured that the photographers would be well distracted by the pair of them for a few minutes. She hurried off in the direction she'd seen Martin go, dropping a few eggs in a few odd places here or there until she found him.

When Martin saw her, he stopped what he was doing, arranging an egg into a crevice in the garden wall, and made to join her. She waved for him to follow her, then led him off, twenty feet of space between them, until they were far, far into the gardens and away from the party.

They could hear the orchestra distantly, so they knew the dancers were still entertaining the children and that the search for eggs had not yet begun. No enterprising young scavengers would be likely to catch them for a little while.

This was as safe as they could be for the minute, so Addy stepped forward and kissed Martin on the lips.

This gesture seemed to break him out of the haze he'd been in all day, and the smile on his face was entirely him. "Hi." he said, as though this was the first time they'd spoken all day.

"Hi."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then both of them started talking at the same time,

"I'm sorry you're not—"

"I'm sorry I haven't—"

They both stopped and laughed.

"You go." he said.

"I'm sorry you're not having fun. You did _great_ meeting my parents, I wish I could have introduced you privately… I know this would all be easier without the crowns."

"You were right." Martin shook his head at himself. "They're just jewelry, they don't change anything between us."

"You're not the only one who gets thrown off by the damn thing." Addy wanted to rip the crown off her head, but it was pinned into her hair and doing so would ruin Bridget's hard work. Given that Addy wasn't done being photographed for the day, she let the impulse pass with a frustrated huff.

"I mean… it's not that your being the Princess doesn't matter. It matters a lot. It just shouldn't matter so much to _me_." Martin said.

"You know, Meri and Kile aren't royal and they've never been thrown off by the crowns… I think it's something you just get used to after a while. You get used to seeing me standing up very straight and entertaining a group of politicians and wearing a stupid gold hoop on my head. You'll get bored with it someday."

"Oh, Addy," Martin shook his head with a wry laugh, "Your life is many things, but it will never, ever be boring."

Addy was willing to allow that that might be true. Every monarch hopes for a boring reign with no conflict or drama or trouble, but not one of the Illéan monarchy had ever gotten their wish. "Maybe not, but there are plenty of mundane things about my life here, too." she reassured him. "When they have the time, my parents help Jamesy and Maisy with their homework. Maisy's on a soccer team and Jamesy joined an outdoor club. He goes hiking and camping with them, when security will allow it. Lief and Rosie have bedtimes and they like stories. Everyone has chores. Sure, some days we do this," Addy gestured to her head, to her crown, "but not every day. Not even most days."

Martin took her hands in his and smiled, pained, "I've seen pictures of you being the Princess for all of my life. I didn't think seeing it in person would shake me so much. I'm sorry."

"Don't be! It's a really weird thing." Addy said with a laugh at her own expense.

"It's good that we're taking this slowly. I'm going to get used to this, and next time I see your parents, I'm going to know exactly what to say." Martin promised. "I'm going to impress them, even."

Addy squeezed his hands, "They already liked you, I saw it."

"Well then next time they're going to _love_ me." he winked.

"Good." Addy laughed nervously, heat flushing her cheeks at this differentiation between 'like' and 'love'. She could say the words right now and get it off her chest. She _loved_ him. But after all the beautiful, thoughtful, caring things he'd done for her since meeting her, Addy wanted to do something equally special for him with her declaration of love.

Martin didn't notice the fleeting temptation on her face, or if he did, he didn't acknowledge it. He just grinned at her, easy and weightless, and Addy grinned right back, relieved. Here was her boy, all back to normal.

"Addy, I… I want to ask you something."

"Okay."

"Listen, you don't have to do it."

"What is it?"

"Well… I have an idea for a date."

"Oh?" Addy asked eagerly. She loved their dates.

Martin released one of her hands to rub the back of his neck, "No, I mean a _date_. One of _those_ dates."

An off-campus date. A secret date. Addy felt the rush of adrenaline in her stomach, just thinking about it. "When?"

"When we get back to school. I think you deserve a break from… from all of this." he tilted his head back in the direction of the party, "It might be nice to be someone else for a little while."

Addy couldn't stop the smile on her face at the very thought, "I've missed Robin."

"So have I." Martin said, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Do you know where you want to take her?" Addy asked, tilting her eyebrow.

"Someplace you've never been before. I want to give you something you can't find here."

The music from the orchestra crescendoed and echoed off into silence. It was time for the scavenger hunt to begin. Addy pressed one last kiss to Martin's lips. "I can't wait."

"It's a date." Martin smiled down at her. He released her, and she slipped back around the corner making her way to the front of the gardens to cheer on all the children, and to make certain that her father took at least one photograph of Lenore and Rosie searching for eggs together to add to Addy's private collection. After a minute, Martin rejoined the crowd too, and no one suspected for a second that he and the Heir to the Throne of Illéa had been conspiring and kissing mere moments before.


	24. Chapter 23

Martin set to work planning their next secret date as soon as he got back to campus from the Egg Roll, but he refused to share his plans with Addy until he had every single detail worked out. It gave Addy something to look forward to, a light at the end of the tunnel, as she mentally prepared herself for Professor Dearwood's long-dreaded class field trip to the diplomatic offices of the Palace.

Each pair of students in the elite group of underclassmen that had managed to survive not one seminar with Dearwood, but nearly two by now, was assigned a country of significance to Illéa's current foreign policy goals, including Italy, New Asia, France, and England. Addy noticed right away that Swendway was not on the list for this semester, and she could tell from the way Lenore's shoulders tensed in the desk in front of her that Lenore noticed, too. When Addy and Lenore had first received England as their assignment, Addy had examined their information packet from every conceivable angle to find another game Dearwood might be playing with them, like last semester.

"I'm the King of England's goddaughter, and I live with the Prince of England. She's not exactly being impartial." Addy complained, pacing her kitchen as Lenore scowled at their textbooks and assigned reading materials.

"The only thing I can see is that England shares a maritime boundary with Swendway. They've probably got closer relations to Swendway than we have. Maybe we're supposed to use this contact at the Palace to figure something out..."

Addy slouched onto one of the stiff, uncomfortable little sofas near the bookshelves and pouted, "I wish we were doing the Ethiopian Empire instead."

Lenore lifted her eyes to Addy, but not the rest of her face, piercing her with an intolerant look, "This is good, you spoiled brat. Even if Dearwood chose the assignments at random this time, we still have a chance to learn something about Swendway while we're at the Palace. Nobody's punishing you. This is a gift."

"I trust my dad! He'll tell me when he's ready-"

"Adrienne, you're going to be the Queen in three years. That's less time than it takes to earn most of the degrees at this school. You'll be Queen by the time Meri graduates."

Addy gaped at her, stunned. It was true, though. Addy would be married and coronated before Meri, and indeed most of the students she'd started university with the previous fall, were ready to graduate. The horror must of have shown on her face, because Lenore looked thoroughly satisfied, "You need to know what you're getting when they hand you that crown."

Addy couldn't really argue with the logic, so she rejoined Lenore at the table and they continued preparing for their meeting.

* * *

Most of Addy's classmates were riding over to the Palace on a chartered bus. To Addy's endless humiliation, she was instead forced to ride in a Palace car driven by one of the guards for safety. She offered Lenore the option to ride with her, but predictably, Lenore shunned Palace hospitality wherever possible and chose to ride with the rest of their classmates.

Before the sun had even risen that Friday morning, Addy was outside watching her Uncle Ry drive down her street at a slow, steady pace. From behind the car, Addy spied the shadowed figure of a boy precariously carrying a bag and two coffee cups, hurrying to a power-walk now that he'd seen the royal car arrive.

"Martin?" Addy had told him what time she was leaving, but she hadn't expected him to cross the campus just to see her off. Now that he had her attention, he felt confident enough to stop the hurried walking and proceed with caution, instantly lowering his risk of splashing the piping hot beverages onto his hands. Addy took the cup he was hugging to his body in the crook of his arm, then pressed a kiss to his lips. Though his hands were full, he wrapped his arms around her and very happily returned the kiss. Addy wondered why he took the time to tease her lips, they didn't usually carry on like that in public, but when the kiss was at last done and she turned around, she found that the guards at her house were all looking pointedly in the opposite direction, allowing her privacy. She smiled. She knew the restraint it must require from Uncle Ryland, and probably even from Weaver, to stand by idly by while this boy put his lips on her lips. She was endlessly grateful for them.

Martin handed her the bag in his hand, and Addy found that it contained a cream cheese danish.

"Thank you for breakfast. You didn't have to do that."

"It's going to be a weird day for you. I wanted you to have something nice to start it off."

"You're my something nice." She flirted, batting her lashes at him.

He laughed, taking his first sip from his own coffee. "Listen, are you staying for the weekend?" his tone held an edge of anxiety, but only a small one.

"I hadn't really thought about it. Why?"

"If you come back tonight, what time will you be back?"

"Umm, we'll be with our mentors until the mid-afternoon. We'll probably be back by dinner. Why?" she asked again, this time teasing him with a smile.

"Would you come back to campus tonight for me?" he seemed to realize he was asking her an enormous favor.

"Yes." she said immediately. For him it was an instant "yes". Then, again, she asked, "Why?"

"I thinkit's date night." he finally explained, nervous and excited all at once.

Addy smiled. She'd hoped that was what this was about. "Good." she handed him her set of keys to her dormitory, "You can set up whatever you need to set up for the surprise. We'll talk about it more when I get back."

He took the keys with reverence and kissed her on the forehead. "Good luck today."

"Thanks. See you tonight." Addy felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of _tonight_ jolt her awake far more efficiently than even her favorite cream coffee concoction could have managed. She gave her Uncle Ry a quick hug of good morning while he held the car door open for her, and then she waved to Martin one more time as the car door was closed. She settled into the dark, comfy back seat and enjoyed her breakfast, unable to imagine a more perfect start to her day.

Maybe, in a couple of years, she could be married to Martin and he could wake her up with breakfast every single morning for the rest of her life.

* * *

Addy's car arrived at the Palace before the bus carrying her peers. For the first time in her life, she entered Palace grounds the back way, the way staff came and went, through several security checkpoints and barricades. When the car slowed to a stop, a guard stepped forward and opened the car door for her.

A young woman with blond hair, wearing business slacks and a blazer, and carrying a thick binder full of papers approached her with a curtsey.

"Good morning, Princess. We have an annex cleared for you while you await your classmates. They'll be arriving any minute."

"I'd like to wait here and join them as soon as I can." Addy replied politely.

"You'll be more comfortable in the annex, your Highness, your classmates will receive a brief overview of the daily workings of the Palace as part of their tour. You obviously have no need of the tour."

"I want to be with my class." Addy repeated in a tone of voice she'd learned from her mother. It was kind and patient, but brooked no argument.

The woman cast a nervous glance at her clipboard, then behind her toward the door, "I…"

Addy chuckled with a realization, "Did Silvia Fadaye put you up to this, by any chance?"

The woman seemed relieved to be understood, "She's my boss."

Addy nodded, "You can tell my Aunt Silvia that I'll be joining my class for the tour, but that I thank her for her consideration."

The woman nodded, then seemed to have another thought, "She's also cleared a room for you to have your lunch."

Addy rolled her eyes, "For crying out loud, I can eat lunch with commoners and still become the Queen. It's not as though the coronation won't stick if I've eaten salad from a cafeteria."

There was a knowing silence as the blond woman tried to bite back a smile. Finally she managed, "I'll translate your sentiments as… gently as I can."

"Thank you."

The woman curtseyed and returned inside.

Addy was permitted to wait there, but the guard who'd opened her car door for her remained standing several paces back, long after Uncle Ry had driven off with the car. Addy supposed he'd return to his post when she was back in the safety of Palace walls. Even though he wasn't looking directly at her, and was instead gazing respectfully into the distance, Addy knew he was keeping track of her every twitch. She couldn't even stand outside of her own home without being watched. Suddenly, her date with Martin that evening couldn't come soon enough.

It was several minutes after the chartered bus appeared at the first security checkpoint before it arrived where Addy stood waiting. Because it wasn't being driven by a guard with permanent security credentials, but by a driver with a temporary pass, the bus was stopped three times on its journey inward as part of protocol.

Addy stood with her hands behind her back, joined first by Professor Dearwood, and then by the rest of the students in her class. Lenore was the last off the bus, shuffling an enormous book into her satchel as she moved to stand next to Addy.

From inside the Palace, a new woman appeared. She wore a tailored business dress in royal blue coloring, a Palace staff badge dangling from a lanyard around her neck. She hesitated for a moment upon spotting Addy's bright red hair, and she curtseyed perfunctorily. This would be the first of many curtseys, and Addy masked her face to avoid wincing at it. A few of her classmates glanced over at her as if just remembering that she was, in fact, the Princess. Lenore smirked, Addy could see it from the corner of her eye, but thankfully the taller girl said nothing.

The tour lasted only twenty minutes, and delved into the history of several important artifacts on display in this part of the Palace. It was nothing Addy hadn't heard before, and at one point their tour guide was ever-so-slightly wrong about the age of a painting that had originally hung in the White House, but Addy was more than content to keep her mouth closed and blend in with her group.

Not for the first time in her life, she wished she had her father's blond hair like Jamesy, Maisy, and Rosie had. Her red hair was a homing beacon for the eyes of every passing member of staff, leading to immediate curtseys. If Addy wasn't such a dead ringer for her mother, she wondered if she'd even need the Robin wig to help her fade into the background.

At the end of the tour, Professor Dearwood took over and finished explaining their tasks for the day. There were eight of them, in groups of two, and each group would be interviewing a previously assigned diplomat. The students would use what they learned in shadowing their diplomat to write up a report, due Monday. Dearwood handed each pair a slip of paper with a room number written on it, and that was it. Dearwood had her own meetings that day, she'd see them that afternoon for the ride back to school. When the groups continued to gape at the professor for further instruction, she simply lifted both of her hands out in front of her and swept her fingers in and out a couple of times in a shooing motion to indicate that they should disperse immediately.

Each pair headed off in a different direction.

"How was the ride?" Addy asked.

"Fine." Lenore said curtly.

"Did anything funny happen?"

Lenore glanced at Addy and shrugged, "I was reading _Anna Karenina_ for my lit analysis class the whole time, it was the least funny bus ride I've ever taken."

"What's your analysis going to say?"

Lenore shook her head despondently, "I don't know. I'll probably analyze the style instead of the story. The story's too long to do a decent analysis."

"What's the style?"

Lenore rolled her eyes, but not at the question. At the style. "Literary realism. That's why Tolstoy's books are thousands of pages long, and _feel_ even longer than that. They are an attempt to depict ordinary, banal, day-to-day life in a totally unglamorous way. It's a long, detailed look at nothing."

"Day-to-day life isn't nothing!" Addy countered. "In fact, it's _everything_."

"It's tedious to read about. And I think the men who made it their life's work to write about it could have spent that time trying to inspire and educate, rather than writing depressing endings of million-page stories and saying, 'That's life, life is a million-page banality with a depressing ending, therefore we are the greatest artists who've ever lived because we're the only ones who've figured it out."

"Is that what they said?" Addy giggled.

"In Russian, probably."

Addy didn't have the chance to reply because they were at the door to the deputy ambassador to England's office.

For a second, Addy's hands didn't know what to do. She was in the Palace, granted in a part of the Palace she'd never been to before, but she was still in Palace-mode. But there were no guards at the ready to open doors for her as there would have been if she was, for some reason, visiting these offices in her capacity as Princess (usually, if she needed to meet with any of these diplomats, they would come to her office and not the other way around). If she'd been at University, she'd have naturally knocked on the door without a second thought. That's what students did. But here she stood, being student Addy but standing in the Palace, and her body no longer understood what to do with itself. She had a long, clumsy moment of mind-body confusion.

Lenore didn't notice, thank goodness, and easily solved the whole problem. She knocked three times and waited. After a moment, a woman's voice from inside the room called for them to come in.

Lenore opened the door and Addy followed, happy to let her moment of awkwardness pass.

The woman in the small office rising to her feet behind an ornate old desk was middle aged, with brown hair and big, round glasses. Addy had seen her both in Illéa and on official visits to England, but always standing behind the senior ambassador, and she'd never actually had a reason to speak to the woman before.

Her name was Margaret Poole, Addy knew, and in any case there had been a name plate on her door.

The deputy Ambassador curtseyed to Addy and rounded the desk to shake Lenore's hand. "It's lovely to see you, Princess. And you must be Miss Lee. When she set up this session, Yvellin was practically ebullient about the two of you, by her standards. She said you both show _promise_ , which is praise I doubt she'd even award me. In fact, I don't think I've heard her use that word since her very first meeting with your father, Princess."

"We have a great class this semester, I think she would have said something like that about all of us." Addy demurred.

Deputy Ambassador Poole laughed as she returned to her side of the desk, "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

She didn't elaborate further, but Addy wondered if there wasn't a story behind those words. Professor Dearwood and this woman had obviously known each other for a very long time, and it seemed as if they were even _friends_. It was startling to imagine serious, severe Professor Dearwood spending time with _friends._ Did she tell _jokes_? Did she dress in something other than thousand-dollar business suits with tall spiked heels and limited edition designer bags? Did she go _anywhere_ without one of those bags, filled with documents or secrets or who knew what? It was impossible to fully imagine.

The deputy ambassador waited for Addy to sit, then returned to her seat and cleared away the papers she'd been reading before they'd arrived.

"Shall we get started?"

Lenore pulled a notebook from her bag and whipped out a pen, ready to take notes, crossing her legs and settling in. "What does a typical day look like for you, Ambassador Poole?" Lenore asked.

"I arrive at the Palace from residences I've been awarded by my government in the embassy in Angeles, usually a little before eight o'clock in the morning. I have several newspapers on my desk, English and Illéan, and I have a red pen. I mark any article that might be of note for relations between Illéa and England, including articles about mutual allies or governments of mutual concern, and I prepare myself with all of the information I can find on those matters." There was a pause, during which Lenore gave Addy an almost comically pointed look. A 'government of mutual concern' definitely meant Swendway.

"I have a telephone meeting with the ambassador at the embassy every morning near 9:00 o'clock. We discuss the news of the day and coordinate a unified response to anything that needs responding to. I work with other diplomats here in the Palace, he manages things from the embassy, and if there's a matter of particular importance, such as most recently the coordinated use by the Illéan military of our English army bases at home, we work together. I'll tell you, most days I finish that morning call with the ambassador, and the next thing I know it's time for dinner, the sun has set, and half the offices have emptied out. I like to be busy, though, I think I'd be bored to tears doing just about anything else."

Though the question wasn't one she had prepared ahead of time, the princess in Addy felt obliged to ask the usual, polite question she'd heard her mother ask diplomats for all of her life, "And how have you found Illéa, Deputy Ambassador? Have you felt welcomed?"

"Illéa is an extraordinary, beautiful kingdom, your Highness. I grew up in England during your grandfather's reign, at a time when Illéa was extremely closed off to the rest of the world. It wasn't clear at all that Illéa would ever become what it is today, a global power integral to maintaining peace and prosperity in nearly every region in the world. Much of England's close relationship with Illéa today stems from King Maxon's personal friendship with King Eoan. When Illéa first extended the invitation for England to open an embassy here in Angeles, shortly after your father's coronation, I was ecstatic at the opportunity to test the boundaries of a foreign policy predicated on personal friendship.

"Others in my profession back home were hesitant in the beginning, they argued that this was a generational blip based on one king's temperament, and that in time Illéa would revert to its old, closed off self. Honestly, those bleak, if pragmatic, views only inspired me to work even harder, encouraging a series of treaties that would formalize and enshrine our alliance into law. I've not heard from those naysayers in a long time. Not since King Eoan was named your godfather, and you became such good friends with Prince Andrew and Prince Lucas. A generational blip our close alliance may still be, but now it will be a two-generational blip, and even if your eventual heir grows to loathe Prince Andrew's eventual heir, I'll still have been afforded another twenty-some years of your reign to continue formalizing our countries' relationship. I can do a lot of good in that time, Princess, and so can you."

Addy nodded, smiling wryly, "Yes, I try not to annoy Lucas too much in our dormitory. I keep the sink clear of my dishes and, if I do steal food from him, I always leave a little something left in the container so he won't have to totally do without. No international incidents so far."

The deputy ambassador laughed, a charming, full-bodied laugh, "Thank you for your diligence, your Highness."

"Well, I say no international incidents…" Addy pretended to muse, "He's offered me a fair few castles dotted around the English countryside in exchange for my helping him study for various exams. I don't think he technically owns those castles."

"The Prince is not currently in possession of any land or castles." The deputy ambassador confirmed.

"That's what I was afraid of. I don't know what your country is going to do when I come to collect on those debts." Addy said.

The deputy ambassador laughed again, this time tilting her head back, "Well, thank you for the warning, your Highness. I'll get to work sorting something out immediately."

Lenore was looking over at Addy, eyes narrowed. She'd noticed the shift in Addy's posture and sentence structure, the crossing of that blurry line that took Addy from being a student to being the Princess. Addy gulped at being so effectively called out by nothing but a piercing look. She wasn't supposed to be the Princess of Illéa right now, she was supposed to be a student learning about foreign relations. She _wanted_ to be a student learning about foreign relations, she had the rest of her life to be a royal.

Lenore looked down at her notes and feigned casualness, "Deputy Ambassador, you said that you pay attention to news about mutual allies, what kind of news do you look out for?"

"Oh, usually economic news. If Italy's economy hits a stumbling block, that's going to effect exports for England just as much as it will Illéa. If the value of a shared ally's currency is tumbling, we have a mutual interest in stabilizing them so that their citizens can afford to buy English mutton or Illéan coffee beans."

But Addy knew what Lenore had really been building up to. Addy said, "Are there countries that we aren't allies with that you keep tabs on?"

"Of course. There are countries throughout the world that simply haven't invested time and resources into joining your father's global coalition. The Russian Federation has been reticent at times, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prefers to focus their foreign interactions more locally. We like to keep an eye on them, though, because global coalitions are fragile things and a poor crop yield in one country could lead to soaring food prices in another, which could lead to civil unrest, which could disrupt imports and exports, and the next thing anybody knows, England and Illéa are forced to deal with a brand new leader in a small country, someone we don't know anything about, someone whose goals are unpredictable and who might be willing to start a war to solidify their power."

Addy didn't feel like she was learning anything about Swendway, but Lenore had the scent of something, "Has anybody tried to start a war for power since you've been here?"

The Deputy Ambassador demurred, "All conflict is about power in one way or another. Even the rebels in New Asia right now are seeking power by force."

Lenore and Addy looked at each other, trying to figure out how to move forward. If they said the wrong thing, the Deputy Ambassador might realize what they were after and shut down that line of questioning.

"Do you…" Addy had a thought, and she hurried to figure out how to phrase it, "Um… Do you get documents from your government? Like, intelligence documents? Is the newspaper your only source of information or do you and your counterparts have security clearances?"

"In general, intelligence is brought to the table by my counterpart with His Majesty's Secret Service. The Service has their own attaché, and he will bring information to the Ambassador and to myself, as well as to Illéan authorities when it's appropriate."

Lenore pretended to be enamored with the idea, "So sometimes you get briefed by spies?"

"Sometimes." The pretense worked, the Deputy Ambassador was totally disarmed, chuckling at Lenore's awed tone of voice. "It's not as glamourous as it sounds, though. The attaché looks just like anyone else, in a suit and carrying a briefcase. He brings us secrets, things other countries don't necessarily want us to know, but it's only reports on actual GDP if a country has lied about the numbers they released to the public. It's attempts to secretly dally in an ally's elections, which we find out about and then use as leverage to convince them to behave themselves. It's not an action film, not by a long shot."

"Is it boring work, being a diplomat?" Addy asked. She'd gotten distracted from the goal of looking for clues about Swendway. She was thinking about Martin now, about how he wanted to work as an Illéan diplomat after he graduated. Selfishly, she'd been trying to think of ways to entice him to become the Prince consort of Illéa instead. Maybe the position could be reworked to include more diplomacy? Or maybe diplomacy wouldn't be as interesting as he thought, and being Prince consort would be more fulfilling? That's what she was hoping for, anyway.

"Never boring." Deputy Ambassador Poole replied immediately. So much for that tactic, Addy frowned. "My work is important and incredibly fulfilling. Sometimes I have to care about things I really don't want to care about, because I'm serving my government and my government has chosen to care. It's not that every day is a delight. But when I look back on the last week, the last month, the last year, I can always point to projects and policies I've helped shape that have benefited England, and benefited the world as a whole. I _actually_ get to make the world a better place, and I get paid to do it. It's never boring."

Lenore got them back on track with only one annoyed glance at Addy, "Do you think you've ever stopped any wars from happening while you've been a diplomat?"

"Not me, personally. Not that I can think of…" She trailed off, bridging her fingers together in thought, "England hasn't been at war in over a hundred years, and King Maxon has made it his personal mission to keep peace throughout his reign. He's expended extraordinary amounts of political capital, time, energy, and resources to not only keep Illéa at peace but to keep its allies at peace. There haven't been many times since I've come to work here that war has been a genuine threat."

"Not ever?" Lenore pressed, leaning forward.

Deputy Ambassador Poole looked up and paused before replying. "No."

A short, one word answer. All the rest of her answers had been generously long, genuine, and honest. This was one word. This was a lie.

Addy scratched at her neck, trying to think of a way to pivot around the lie and still find some truth. Maybe if she thought Addy already knew?

"Deputy Ambassador, you said you receive classified intelligence sometimes? My dad arranged for me to have top security clearance when I was thirteen years old so that I could start shadowing him in important meetings. I don't get files every day like he does, and when I do get a box of intelligence, it's much smaller than his, but still I'd imagine we've seen some of the same reports over the last few years. I know we can't talk specifically about them here," Addy cast a dramatic look at Lenore, as if she and the Deputy Ambassador would talk classified secrets all day long if only Lenore wasn't in the room. Lenore gave her an icy death glare at this tactic, forcing Addy to choke back a laugh. "All the same, for my own personal understanding, what general types of reports do you receive? I think that might help me understand the scope of your work."

The Deputy Ambassador nodded, "Again, my work is focused primarily on the economy. The Ambassador receives a broader variety of intelligence than I do. I get anything that might effect England's economy negatively, or anything that might effect Illéa's economy negatively. Again, it's not 'action film' sort of stuff, it's mostly currency or trade related."

Addy tried to think if whatever had happened in Swendway would have been currency or trade related. Her mind was boggled, she couldn't begin to guess.

"You know, Princess, you seem very interested in the intelligence aspect of my job. Honestly, that's only a small part of what I do. But if English intelligence is what interests you, you might try having a word with your friend, His Royal Highness Prince Andrew. He receives every report I receive, and then some. I doubt you'd learn anything useful for your class report, but you might enjoy the conversation, future Queen to future King."

Addy was stunned.

The Deputy Ambassador thought that she was just encouraging a friendly relationship between the future leaders of the two countries she'd dedicated her life to. But Addy couldn't believe she hadn't thought of this sooner. Andrew was much farther along in his training to take over for his father than Addy was in her training, so of course Andrew must have been receiving top secret classified information for years now.

And as Lenore had pointed out earlier that week, England shared a maritime boundary with Swendway. They'd have to know what was happening between their neighbor and their closest ally. Andrew was a far, far better bet for information about what her parents were hiding from her than this deputy ambassador was.

Addy looked to Lenore, eyes wide. Lenore nodded her understanding, and then asked a totally unrelated question. They'd gotten what they needed from the Deputy Ambassador, and now Lenore was just going to finish the interview so that they could write their report. Addy was more than happy to sit back and pretend to listen as her mind raced with the possibilities.

* * *

Addy and Lenore didn't dare plot further about their investigation into government secrets until they arrived at the staff cafeteria for lunch. There was a lot more attention on Addy than usual as every Palace employee, from those with clerical jobs, to low-level advisers, to kitchen staff in aprons curtseyed to her in a continuous wave as she walked by. It made Addy a little sorry that she'd turned down Aunt Silvia's offer of a private dining room; in her zeal to be a normal student for the day, she'd forgotten that the royal family usually kept themselves separate from their employees for the staff's convenience, not for their own.

Addy politely refused when several people in line for food ahead of her offered to allow her to go first. Beside her, Lenore's fingers fidgeted wildly. This embarrassing show of deference wasn't even bothering her, her mind was on other matters.

The staff dining experience was really quite excellent, Addy noticed. The small salad was made primarily with vegetables grown in the Palace gardens. The baked lemon and rosemary chicken breast was of no worse quality meat than the royal family was served. She even got a cookie that she definitely recognized as the head chef's specialty recipe.

She wondered if the food had always been so good here. Maybe past kings would have wanted their top advisers well fed, but the maids, the butlers, and the kitchen boys too? Some of these people would have been upper caste, and some would have been lower caste. She couldn't imagine that this cafeteria would have been integrated when her father first became King. Then again, feeding the masses had always been one of her father's passions. He might not have even waited for his coronation to make this change.

The tables in this cafeteria were not like the tables at the campus dining halls, all particle board tabletops and plastic chairs. Each table here was made of handsome, dark wood, cut into small circles or long rectangles to accommodate different group sizes. The chairs dotted around the table were plush, almost like armchairs, and Addy sank comfortably into one positioned before a small, round, three-seater table. It was only then that Addy noticed the rest of the room had definitely been standing this whole time, waiting for her to take her seat, because everyone behind Lenore seemed to sink down as soon as Addy was seated. Luckily, Lenore had chosen the seat next to Addy, facing an elegantly decorated wall, and hadn't seen any of them.

Addy tilted her head back against her comfy chair and groaned inwardly. This was a mistake, she definitely should have eaten somewhere else.

"Is it safe to talk here?" Lenore asked in a hushed voice, opening the cloth napkins that they'd received with their food and placing it in her lap.

"What do you mean?"

"Are there cameras or microphones… are we being watched?"

Addy looked around the room and caught no fewer than five various Palace employees staring at her, each immediately looking away as soon as they saw her looking. "Uh, yeah Lenore. We're being watched." Addy stabbed her chicken with a vengeance.

"Okay." She sipped her iced tea, clearly brooding over her thoughts.

"We could try code words… like… you know _that_ country? We could call it… Mystery Land."

Lenore choked on her tea, laughing. When it was clear she wasn't dying she said, "Okay, but what about what we just learned? You have a friend who could know everything."

"Brother of Fun."

"Brother of Fun?"

"Trust me."

Lenore's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Does that make… does that make your roommate _Fun_?"

Addy blanched, "It's, it's an old reference, it doesn't mean what it used to mean anymore, not that it ever meant anything that you're thinking, it wasn't anything, it's just a silly misunderstan—"

Lenore silenced her with one tilt of her eyebrow.

"Forget it. We'll call him something else."

"If you say so." Lenore obviously knew there was more to 'Fun' than Addy would admit, but she had international secrets to discover, she wasn't that concerned with Addy's nicknames for her friends.

"My helpful friend is now… the Pirate King."

"The Pirate King?"

"A game we played when we were kids."

"Were you the Pirate Queen?"

"Absolutely not! Our parents were Kings and Queens, we knew Kings and Queens had to be married. I was the Mermaid General." Astra had been the Pirate Queen, in point of fact, but in a 'playing house' kind of way where she pretended to be the mommy to several stuffed toys and she took care of the ship. This had been ages and ages before it ever occurred to Andrew or Astra to try to date one another.

"Alright, fine. So the Pirate King has gotten information on… Pirate… Island's foreign relations."

"Yes. And that might include something about Mystery Land."

"But it might not." Lenore pointed out. "You don't know anything about it, and you're supposed to have access, too."

"Well, my parents are specifically protecting me from Mystery Land, the Pirate King's parents might not be as concerned about that. The Pirate King is older than I am, and if Mystery Land is a threat to us, it might not be quite as scary to Pirate Island. Or else, the threat is so immediate that the Pirate King's parents can't afford to keep it from him."

Lenore nodded. "This is a good lead, then. How do we ask him?"

"I don't know. The Pirate King's brother calls him on the telephone at least once a week, but I don't know if this is the kind of thing I can ask about on the telephone."

"Do you think the guards listen in?" Lenore asked seriously.

Addy considered it. "I highly doubt it. Because they're both… Pirate royalty, they outrank everyone except their dad… it just doesn't seem like they'd be surveilled. At least, not without their knowledge."

"Then why not ask the Pirate King over the telephone?" Lenore pressed.

Addy didn't answer right away. Finally she decided, "It's a long story, explaining why I don't know what's happening and figuring out what, if anything, he knows. Face to face is better. It'll be way harder for him to deny me if he has to look me in my puppy-dog eyes."

Lenore didn't like this answer at all, "When's the next time you're actually going to see him?"

Addy didn't know. "I'll get something on the books as soon as possible. If nothing else, the Pirate King's brother's birthday is right after finals. I'll be on Pirate Island for that."

Lenore seemed to think this was far too long to have to wait for information, but she took a bite of her food anyway.

Over Lenore's shoulder, Addy saw a familiar, smiling face coming her way, bearing a tray of food. She leapt to her feet, grinning.

"Princess Adrienne?"

"Xavier! What are you doing here?" she waited for him to lift up from his little bow to hug him in greeting.

"I had a meeting with your mother, actually." he admitted. "She's written a letter of recommendation for me, for an apprenticeship."

"That's wonderful!"

"It really is… and anytime I'm at the Palace, she insists I eat something before I leave. I've never walked out of the Palace gates hungry in all of my life."

Addy laughed, then gestured to the empty chair at their table, "Do you want to sit with us?"

For the first time, Xavier looked past Addy at the other occupant of the table. Lenore was gaping up at him, fork hovering just over her plate, forgotten.

"I wouldn't want to interrupt anything." Xavier replied to Addy.

"No, please." Addy looked back down at Lenore, not at all sure what to make of her friend's stony silence. "Don't eat alone. Sit with us."

"In that case, I'd be happy to." Xavier sat his tray down on the table and took the empty seat, turning to Lenore.

"Xavier, this is my friend, Lenore Lee. She's my seminar partner at school. Lenore, this is Xavier Avery. He's a family friend, I've known him my whole life."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lee." Xavier held out his hand. Belatedly, Lenore shook it.

"You're a family friend?" Lenore asked bluntly. "How does that work, exactly? With the royals?"

Xavier hesitated, even stammered. The death of his father wasn't something he usually talked about within seconds of meeting someone.

"His father was a guard." Addy swooped in to save him. "He was part of my parents' personal detail. You've seen my personal detail, you know how close they must have been."

"Oh." Lenore accepted this answer easily. She sulked over her food.

"So, what on earth are you doing in the staff cafeteria, Princess?" Xavier asked, taking his cue from Lenore and digging into his food.

"We're here on a field trip, actually." Addy said. "We've been meeting with the English Deputy Ambassador all morning."

His eyebrows rose, "That's impressive."

"You were meeting with the Queen of Illéa, you're not unimpressive, yourself." Addy reminded him.

"I can't argue there." Xavier admitted.

"What's the apprenticeship for?"

"It's with a company that maintains power grids, I'd be learning from some of their chief engineers."

"That sounds incredible."

"It really is. That company is in the running for some government contracts, rebuilding the grids in the Southern Provinces. The current infrastructure is deplorable, you wouldn't believe it compared to what it's like in the northern provinces. Your dad promised government funding to bring them all up to date, but a little extra funding if a significant source of the new grids was powered by clean energy. Solar and wind, primarily. That electrical engineering company is going to be drafting plans for the next six months, and then proposing them to governors and mayors soon afterward. If I get this apprenticeship, I'll be right there in the middle of it all."

"Ready to change the lightbulbs at a moment's notice?" Addy teased.

He rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yes, exactly."

"I'm sure you didn't need a letter from the Queen, but I'm glad you got one." Addy said. "They'd have to be crazy not to pick you for the apprenticeship."

"I just hope they don't pick me to curry favor. These are government contracts, but your parents aren't making any final decisions. They won't be able to influence things in favor of the company I'm apprenticing at."

"I'm sure the company you want to work at knows that, Xavier."

Xavier nodded, then shook his head at her, "Now I know how you must feel. Never knowing if you've earned something or if it's just being handed to you because your parents are the King and Queen…"

Addy nodded, taking a long sip of her drink as she mulled over her best advice. Lenore beat her to it, though.

"Most things _are_ handed to Adrienne, because her parents are the King and Queen. But she spends the rest of her time, every waking hour, making sure that she's worthy anyway. The world hands her everything, so it's an endless mountain to climb, but she's relentless in pursuit of breaking even. If you're worried about it, be like Addy. Use every lucky connection you have to get ahead in life, but make damn sure you're earning your place anyway. That's what I'm going to do."

Addy and Xavier stared at Lenore, both in awe for different reasons. This was the first time Lenore had ever bothered to say exactly _why_ she'd decided Addy was worth liking, and Addy found herself fighting back tears at this full-throated vote of absolute confidence from her friend.

Xavier was bowled over by the certainty, the forcefulness, and the passion in every single word Lenore had spoken. "You're right, Miss Lee. I'll try to be like Addy."

Addy wanted to say something self-deprecating, because this had all been an incredibly generous exchange to have happened over salad. But before Addy could say anything, Xavier was asking Lenore what she was studying and where she was from and before Addy knew it, their lunch break was over.

* * *

It felt strange to Addy to be leaving the Palace the same day as she arrived, and without seeing anyone in her family even once. Even so, she was fluttering like a butterfly in the backseat of the car for the entire return ride to campus. It was always a long ride, but it felt even longer this time because she knew who was waiting for her back in her dormitory.

She tried to pass the time by scribbling an outline of the report she and Lenore would be writing over the weekend, but she only got halfway through the bullet points. Lenore would have a better outline anyway, she reasoned. Instead, she stared out the window and watched the trees fly by in a blur of green. She imagined all the places she might end up by morning. A starry picnic in some quiet part of a national park, a 24-hour diner in the middle of nowhere with endless pancakes and coffee, a row boat for two destined for the middle of a still, moonlit pond, a midnight showing of a brand new film, complete with popcorn and slushy. Slushys were always a bonus for a secret, middle-of-the-night date, Addy had decided.

When the car pulled up to Addy's little house, Aaliyah was waiting outside to open the door for her. "You've got a visitor." Aaliyah grinned. "He had a key, but he knocked anyway. I guess he didn't want us to tackle him on sight."

Addy winced, "I should have thought to warn you."

"It's fine. I think he's _cooking_ for you." Aaliyah wiggled her eyebrows excitedly.

Addy laughed, "What's it smell like?"

"I smelled garlic, onion… I think tomato?"

Addy clapped her hands together, "I'll bet he's gotten his grandmother's recipe book out again."

"Lucky girl." Aaliyah said, awed. "You'd better get in there and see if he needs any help."

Addy completely agreed, racing up the stairs and emerging in the kitchen, where Martin had paused stirring a saucepan to greet her. "Welcome back."

Addy kissed him in greeting and then looked around him at the stove. Some kind of pasta simmered idly in the pan, and Addy turned to him, "What is it?"

"Chicken pancetta ragu. Taste." he returned to the stove and dipped the wooden stirring spoon in, pulling some out and blowing on it until it was cool enough to eat. Then he held it out for her, and she took a bite.

"Amazing." she licked her lips to clear them of sauce.

Martin tasted, too, then tossed in some more shredded cheese and began stirring, "It's almost there."

"I've got to tell my godmother about all of this Italian food you're introducing me to. I'm sure she'd love to thank you."

"Your godmother…" Martin paused, turning back to look at her, "The _Queen of_ _Italy_?"

"Yep."

Martin laughed, "I'm sure Grandma Isabella would be thrilled for the Queen of Italy to compliment me on her recipes, but the joy might overwhelm and kill her, and I'd just as soon she live a few more years."

"Ah. We'll hold off then." Addy giggled.

Over dinner, Martin asked her about her day at the Palace, and Addy told him about the new lead she and Lenore would be pursuing over the next few weeks.

"So you really want to know the big secret? Even though your parents don't want you to?"

Addy shrugged, "If Andrew knows, I want to know. I can't afford to look stupid once I'm Queen."

Martin squirmed uncomfortably at the thought of her being Queen. Addy completely understood, he was still getting used to her role as Princess. Addy'd had her whole life to prepare, and the idea of being Queen still made her squirm. "What if Prince Andrew doesn't know?" He asked.

"I guess I'll feel a little better, then. The fewer people know, the less stupid I'd look to them if I didn't know. You know?"

He laughed at how many times she'd said 'know', but he let her logic stand and changed the subject.

"I brought the Robin box. It's in your room." he said casually.

"Good." They'd ultimately stashed all of the Robin disguise at Martin's dormitory. Martin didn't have military-trained guards from two different countries living in the same building as he did, so he was far less likely to be asked why he had a black wig, a nose ring, and dramatic makeup, amongst other things.

"The place we're going is a little more formal than last time."

Addy was surprised. She'd daydreamed a lot of scenarios on the ride home, but none of them had been formal events. Formal was her life at the Palace. She'd been expecting something else.

"How formal? Ballgowns and crowns?"

Martin snorted,"No. Cocktail attire, that's all."

Addy considered what she had in her closet. These were her school clothes, not her Princess clothes, but she knew that her Aunt Silvia had slipped a few fancier dresses into the back of the lot when she'd been here to help Addy move in. She'd been physically unable to leave the Heir to the Throne of Illéa hours from the Palace without 'suitable clothing', and now Addy was grateful to her.

"Okay."

"But the nose ring is still good."

"Really?" Addy asked skeptically, "For a cocktail party?"

"It looks great on you, and this isn't a group of mayors or advisers or anything… we're just being fancy because it's fun."

"Okay. I can be fancy for fun."

"Can you? Can you even be fancy without having to be Princess Adrienne?" he challenged teasingly.

Addy genuinely had no idea. She'd never had to try before. "We'll find out."

"Yes we will." Martin smiled eagerly.

When they finished eating, they cleaned the dishes together. Addy loved every second of it, it was deliciously normal. She could imagine an entire lifetime of coming home from work to Martin cooking dinner, then eating together and discussing the day, then cleaning up together just like this. They'd even kiss each other intermittently, just like now, surprise ambush kisses that left the other one grinning like a fool. They'd waltz around the kitchen, just like now, with no music except each other's laughter. They wouldn't stop until they breathlessly collapsed on the sofa, just like now, stitches in their sides and foreheads sweaty. But unlike now, Martin wouldn't have to leave when it was over because they'd both be home.

If there was any way that Addy could have that future, she wanted to fight for it.

* * *

When Martin left after dinner, Addy took a nap. She wanted to have plenty of energy for the night ahead. She woke up to the sound of Luke making his bedtime tea. She wasn't sure when he'd gotten back to the dormitory, but she checked the time, and it was ten o'clock.

Addy padded out into the living room and sat at the kitchen table.

"Have you talked to Vanessa?" she asked. Luke was somebody Addy never needed to start a conversation with. They were always mid-conversation, they were so familiar with each other.

"Not about anything important." Luke replied, turning away from the heating kettle to face Addy, crossing his arms in front of his robe. Addy loved that he wore a robe over his pajamas. It was the most English Prince thing a person could do. He'd worn robes over his pajamas for his entire life. She could remember pictures of the two of them playing in England, Addy couldn't have been more than three or four at the time, and Luke and Andrew were both wearing pajamas with little tiny robes over them. Addy smiled, just remembering it.

Gently, she asked, "So where do the two of you stand?"

"We're still seeing each other at school. In fact, I was with her all afternoon, and it was lovely except for the elephant in the room. We just don't have a plan for what, if anything, comes after school."

Addy nodded, "I'm glad you've got some time to figure that out."

"Me too." Lucas agreed. "I just… I still don't think I want her to change her mind. I don't want her to sacrifice anything for me."

Addy nodded. She wanted to say that, from what she'd seen, there was always some sacrifice when it came to love. But this wasn't Astra and Kile finding a place to meet halfway between the university and Angeles. This wasn't Karra, Meri's roommate, picking one of her two long-term boyfriends to go the Palace Easter celebration with her and the other one having to stay at school. This wasn't shy Uncle Ryland spending all of his vacation time going on wild, far-flung adventures with Aunt May. Vanessa was a smart, goofy, talented girl and she deserved the opportunity to make a name for herself in the world.

So Addy didn't say a word.

"Want some?" Luke asked as he spooned chamomile tea leafs into his infuser.

"Uh… no, thanks. I'm… I'm not going to sleep."

There was a heavy pause, then Luke attempted a casual, "No?"

"No."

"Studying all night? Or…" he trailed off. His back was turned to her, but every muscle in his body was tense.

Addy softly confirmed, "Or."

"I see." Luke returned his tin of tea to the cupboard and twisted the kitchen timer, which immediately began ticking down the time until his tea would be ready.

"I'll be back well before dawn." she reassured him.

"Where are you going?"

"It's a surprise."

Luke gently lowered himself into the seat across from Addy, "I think that's a rubbish idea, Adrienne."

"I know you do."

"Fine. What if you need help?"

"Martin has a mobile telephone. His parents gave it to him in case he ever got into a car crash or got a flat tire and needed help. I'll be able to use it to call the guards, if it came to that for some reason."

"It could take ages for help to get to you. If you're hurt, it could all be too late."

"I won't be hurt. Martin's car is very safe, and the roads will be clear of most traffic because it'll be the middle of the night."

"Anything could happen though. It doesn't have to be a car crash, you could be randomly mugged. You could be caught in the crossfire of a fight between two strangers. Somebody upstairs could accidentally drop something down the stairs, it could hit you on the head—"

Addy giggled at the thought, "These sound like normal risks, Luke. Things everyone lives with every day, but miraculously few people actually die of them."

"But with you, _any_ risk is too much."

"Because I'm the Heir?" she rolled her eyes.

"Because _you are the future of the world,_ " he said, eyes burning into hers, "Illéa has emerged from the last twenty years as a global leader thanks to your father, and _you_ are the future of that global leadership."

Addy placed a reassuring hand on his, "I'm _not_ about to die, Luke. But, hey, even if someone does drop something on my head in a freak accident, Jamesy isn't some tyrant. If something happened to me, he'd do a marvelous job."

"It wouldn't be the same." Luke muttered mutinously.

"In some ways it would be." she said steadily, "In some ways it would be better, in some ways, worse. But I don't want you to lose sleep thinking _I'm_ the only hope for humanity. There are _five_ Schreave kids for a reason."

"No. That's not the reason." Luke said darkly.

Maybe that was true. Her parents had had five kids because they _loved_ raising children together, because family was the most important thing in the world to them, and because they'd had enough help from nannies and tutors and maids and chefs that they'd actually been able to run the country and take care of all five children at the same time.

Securing the monarchy by adding to the line of succession was just a side benefit.

"I'm _not_ going to die tonight, Lucas." Addy repeated, wishing she could make this easier for him. "I don't want you to spend all night thinking I'm dead, like last time. That's not a rational fear. That's all I'm trying to say."

"Fine. Perhaps you're right…" he studied her face and sighed, "Just be careful, Bird."

"I promise."

"Wake me up the heartbeat that you get back."

"I will."

"Keep that telephone close to you all night. And don't hesitate to use it if you need to! Any trouble you get into for sneaking out will be far better than the risk of danger."

"Thanks, _Dad_." Addy teased him, reaching across the table to nudge his arm.

Luke frowned adorably, but he embraced his role, "Teenagers these days…" he decried.

" _You're_ a teenager these days! Just because you're about to turn twenty doesn't mean you can start complaining about teenagers yet." Addy laughed.

"In _my_ day, we actually _listened_ to our elders…" Luke did his best impression of his father, surprisingly accurately, as the timer chimed that his tea was ready.

"This is your day!" Addy laughed again.

"But I come from a simpler time, I know." Luke ignored her, leaving the table to fetch his tea.

"You come from now, you weirdo!" But her words fell on deaf ears, perhaps the result of age-related hearing loss.

* * *

Slipping out the window and down the fire escape was just as heart-pounding and thrilling as it had been last time. Addy carried her shoes in her hands and was careful not to mess up her knee-length black lace dress, making her slower than last time which only added to the thrill. Martin was waiting in his car just down the road, and when he saw her coming, he got out and hugged her.

"You look amazing."

"You do, too." She admired his starched suit and tie. "Very dashing."

Martin opened the car door for her and then closed her in. The smell of his car, like vinyl and glass cleaner, and a little bit of dust, was one of the most visceral sensations. It brought her right back to their last tryst, as if no time had passed at all.

The headlights of the car glowed golden on the street ahead of them. Addy smiled, and when Martin offered her his hand, she laced fingers with him and relaxed into her seat. She didn't know how many more nights like this she'd be able to have in her life. This unwatched, private, front seat ride through the middle of the night was almost sacred to her.

"You're quiet, are you okay?" Martin checked, just a few minutes into the drive.

"Very okay." Addy smiled.

"I wish I had another museum night to offer you, but hopefully this will be fun anyway."

"Will there be other people where we're going?"

"Yes. Twenty or so." he estimated.

"Students?" Addy asked, only half interested. She was mostly watching the road fly under their car, making sure to appreciate the vibrant reflective surfaces of the traffic signs around them.

"Some students, some alumni. But it's university-related."

"We're going to… a fancy study group?"

"Nope." Martin grinned.

"A sports match, but elegant."

"Wrong again."

Addy gave up, more than happy to enjoy the ride.

They were in a wealthy neighborhood with enormous houses, long driveways, and endless yards when Martin parked the car.

Addy squirmed uncomfortably, "We're going to someone's _house_?"

"We won't be the only guests." Martin reassured her hurriedly. "I think you're going to like it. It's a chance to socialize without having to be the Princess. You can just enjoy yourself and enjoy the food and conversation… it's the opposite of the Palace Egg Roll. You're not hosting, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

When he put it that way, it did sound like a curiosity. Parties were probably much more fun when you weren't responsible for maintaining political equity amongst guests. Addy smiled, slipping on her heels. "Are we early?"

"Right on time." Martin said, turning off the engine to his car. "But, Addy, if you want to go back to campus—"

"No, this sounds good." Addy smiled. "Plus, we can only stay a few hours. We have to be back before the guards start their morning exercises—"

"I remember. If we leave here by 3:00, we'll be back by 3:30. You can get back in and take a nap and I'll come over with breakfast at sunrise."

"So if the party isn't fun, it's not like we're stuck there forever."

"If you don't like the party, we'll leave no matter what time it is." Martin promised.

It was nice to walk into this beautiful old house on Martin's arm. It was a glimpse of another life, the one she'd have had if her parents weren't royalty. She'd be at university studying anything she wanted, she and Martin might be much farther along in their relationship because they wouldn't have to be so careful about everything, and they'd be going to a silly midnight cocktail party because it was a fun thing to do on a Friday night.

Martin lifted the gold door knocker, in the shape of an eagle, and tapped it against the door in a rhythmic, precise beat. A secret code. The door opened only a few seconds later to reveal a boy near Martin's age, though half a head shorter, holding a nearly empty champagne glass and wearing the remains of a smile that had been directed at other partygoers mere moments before.

"Sinclair," he greeted, then his eyes shifted to Addy, lingering on her face for just a moment, "Plus one."

"Robin." Martin introduced her.

"Alright, why not." The boy stepped aside and motioned for them to enter with a sweep of his champagned hand. "I'm Coriolanus, I'm your host."

"I… I guess I thought that was a pseudonym. To protect the secret." Martin admitted, suddenly nervous.

"Christ, I wish!" The boy turned his attention back to Addy as he closed the door behind them, "Answer me this, Robin, what kind of damned idiot parents give their only child a name with 'anus' right there at the end of it? It's the only thing ringing in anyone's ears once I've introduced myself."

Addy managed a small smile, realizing he was expecting an answer to his general complaint, "The kind of parents who like ancient roman soldiers?"

Cory sipped his champagne disconsolately, emptying his glass and pouting like Lief to be left thirsty. "You're right about that. My parents fetishize all kinds of old, dead countries. Come, I'll show you around."

Cory lead them into a vast living area filled with people sitting on every available sofa, chair, or window sill, all dressed to the nines. A baby grand piano occupied most of one of the corners of the room, and behind it sat a young man surrounded by people egging him on as he improvised cheerful, upbeat music for the whole party to enjoy.

"This is everyone." Cory said to Martin and Addy. "Everyone?" He shouted over the den. The music abruptly halted, all conversation immediately ceased, and all eyes turned to Addy and Martin.

Addy's stomach swooped uncomfortably. The Robin disguise only worked if no one was really paying attention to her. It only worked if they were all doing something else and she was just going by in the background to look at mummies or something. This attention was dangerous.

Martin squeezed her hand.

Cory continued, "Last new recruit of the night. This one's Martin Sinclair, and his plus one, Robin."

Greetings were mumbled and Addy braced herself for someone to recognize her, to curtesy to her, to gape at her wig and the dramatic eyeliner she'd drawn on to her lids earlier that evening.

But instead, the music continued. The hum of conversation picked back up. Nobody gave Addy a second look.

"Right, so, if you go through that door there, you'll be in the kitchen. That's where all the champagne and hors d'oeuvres are. Back the way we came, if you go past the staircase, you'll find the bathroom. The backyard is all lit up and sparkling, but be warned, new recruits are often tossed right into the pool, so I'd steer clear if you're averse to getting soaked."

From across the room, a tall girl dressed in an intricate, traditional Indian sari waved to Cory to get his attention.

"Duty calls. Sinclair, see that man over there with the red tie? Impress him. And... where did she go... Ah," A young woman emerged from the kitchen carrying two flutes of champagne, "Cream dress. Talk to her for a little bit, too. If she vouches for you, you're as good as in. Have fun, kiddies." Cory sauntered away to join a small cluster of partygoers eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Martin placed his hand on the small of Addy's back and guided her into the kitchen, where they stood alone amongst an endless offering of food and drink.

"What is this party?" Addy asked softly, "Why are you supposed to be impressing people? Why are you a recruit?"

Martin handed her a glass and then took one for himself as he said, "Everyone at this party is a Kings University student, or was one in the last five years. And every one of them is considered to be exceptional in some way. This party is full of future artists and musicians and business people and politicians, the next elite. Everyone here was hand-chosen for membership, and all members, both present and former, have a sort of... an honor code. They help each other out and do each other favors and look out for each other… It's a sort of fellowship that usually translates into job offers and offers to join prestigious think tanks and invitations to the most exclusive parties full of people who could help my career…"

"And this… this fellowship invited _you?_ " Addy asked, eyes wide, keeping her voice low in case anyone overheard. "Out of how many people?"

"The whole school."

"The _whole school?"_ she squeaked excitedly.

Martin nodded, barely containing his pride.

"That's amazing, Martin!" Addy squeezed his elbow emphatically, "Congratulations."

"It's not over and done with yet, I still need to talk to a few people and get their approval, but just the fact that they invited me to one of their super secret midnight sessions is a big deal. A huge deal." He beamed.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? This could be huge for you!"

"These secret dates are special," Martin shrugged a little, "I don't know... this one is for you, but it's also a little for me, and I didn't want you to think I was taking you for granted or something—"

"Martin, don't be stupid." Addy said, still grinning with pride. "We're in a relationship, we do things to help each other, that's how it works. Not to mention, this party is stunning. A secret society? A midnight session? It's like something I used to spend my Friday nights reading about. But now, thanks to you, I'm living it."

Martin grinned at her and kissed her cheek, "Robin is a good girlfriend."

Addy felt like a balloon had inflated in her chest at those words. "Let's go impress some people."

When they returned to the party, there was a moment of brief intimidation. Everyone else was already grouped up and talking, and it seemed like they were all already friends, or at least dazzling acquaintances. Then, a girl turned from a nearby sofa and waved them over. "New guy, come over here."

Martin shrugged and clutched Addy's hand for support.

"What's your thing?" she asked. She, unlike Addy, had a real nose ring, as well as an array of visible tattoos on her arms. Her black hair was twisted up elegantly, and half a dozen earrings sparkled from each of her ears. In that formal cocktail dress and heels, she was a breathing dual-sided coin: feminine conformity and irreverent rebellion.

"Uh," Martin wasn't sure what to say, "I, um, … international politics." he seemed to wilt. Maybe he thought it didn't sound like something these fascinating people would be interested in.

"Oooh, that's a fun one. Go into global finance, would you, and push some policy to make us all ridiculously wealthy." she implored.

Addy's mind raced, wondering what she'd say if this girl turned to her and asked her what Robin's 'deal' was. She was in the midst of hurrying to think of a lie when it occurred to her, the conversation had moved on. No one was going to ask. It wasn't that they were being rude, it was just that this night was about Martin. For the first time in her whole life, Addy got to choose the extent to which she socialized at a party. She didn't have to say anything if she didn't want to, she could just hold on to Martin and enjoy the sound of his voice.

"Now, Audrina, surely enough is enough?" a young man joined them. "At a certain point, wealth accumulation becomes gauche. A few million dollars, fine, but hundreds of millions?" he cringed, "We don't want to look like little piggies, do we?"

"This is my twin, Antony." she rolled her eyes, "He's a populist, but not for the right reasons."

"Who cares about the reasons, as long as something good is happening for most of humanity? Hoarding wealth is tacky."

"I'm not asking the new boy to take any wealth from anyone. We can generate new wealth and just… keep some. A finder's fee of sorts." Audrina shrugged.

"What, uh… what's your specialty?" Martin asked.

"I'm an artist, and that communist with my face is a writer. I think art is how you change the culture, he thinks it's writing. We'll probably war for the souls of society and figure out who wins in twenty or thirty years."

"And how will we decide who's won?" Antony challenged.

"Who's made the most money, obviously."

Antony grimaced, "Disgusting. It's like stuffing your face with candy while the children next door are emaciated with starvation."

Audrina rolled her eyes, "If I support the King's food kitchens and the Queen's free clinics, can I keep the rest of my money without coming off as some kind of sociopathic miser in your memoirs?"

"I haven't decided yet." Antony replied primly.

Addy liked them. She'd never met anyone quite like them. And there were dozens more fascinating personalities still to encounter.

Martin and Addy stood before the pianist and he improvised songs based on his first impressions of them. Addy wished she could have recorded hers to keep forever, it was beautiful and grand like something from a ballet. Martin's had a beat quick enough to dance to, and many partygoers did.

They wound up in a conversation with a girl in a headscarf, a machine designer who was picking people's brains for ideas about mass production.

"Powering factories ethically and responsibly is the challenge we face that our ancestors didn't give a second thought to. If we're going to bring back mass production to the civilian, non-military sphere, we've got to do it without polluting the air or endangering workers. It's a puzzle." she taught them.

Martin was able to point her in the direction of some interesting breakthroughs that the Union of South Africa had made in storing the energy made by friction into a battery and using that to light the laboratories where the friction experiments were being done. The machine designer was impressed, she hadn't heard of that experiment before, but she thought the idea was ingenious.

Addy beamed with pride at Martin. He really did belong here, with these fascinating people.

There was a boy going around the room with a special camera, a remake of a prewar model. Every click of his camera resulted in an instant printout of a photograph. He carried a roll of tape in his pocket, and he was sticking all of the printouts to the walls, an impromptu redecoration that celebrated their current celebration, while also showing Addy what their memories of that night would look like five or ten years from now. It was art, but it was also lighthearted and silly.

Addy and Martin posed for one, and watched as the photographer posted it on the wall they stood next to, then Martin said, "Could we have one? Just for us?"

The boy smiled and handed over the camera, "Do my job for me while I get another drink."

Addy grinned over at Martin, "Who do you want to photograph?"

"You." Martin said, snapping a picture of Addy and pocketing it rather than posting it.

"Don't waste his film." Addy complained with a pout. She knew how important film was to her dad, for the cameras he had that actually used it.

"One more, and then we'll do something serious." Martin leaned in for a kiss. Addy only humored him because no one was watching. He snapped the picture of the two of them and showed her the image.

For as posed as it was, Addy loved everything about it. She wanted to frame it and put it on her desk, she wanted to show it to her great-grandchildren someday. Being young and in love was a hell of a thing. Addy couldn't wait to add this picture to the one from the fall festival, "Keep it safe for me until the party's over?"

Martin winked at her and tucked it into his breast pocket with the picture of Addy, then he surrendered the camera to her.

While Martin talked with the boy in the red tie, trying to impress him, Addy wandered through the party and snapped pictures, trying to see it all like her father would have. She played with angles and lighting and framing, but mostly she just had fun. Any time a cluster of partygoers would notice her approaching with the camera, they'd fall into silly poses and beg her to photograph them. Everyone was looking at her, but nobody was seeing the Princess, they were seeing a girl with a camera. Addy felt like a totally different, totally free person.

The photographer returned from the kitchen with food and drink, stuffing a square of cake into his mouth to free up a hand to reclaim his camera. He admired Addy's work, wandering through the new additions to his walls of pictures. Then he said, "Somebody in the kitchen wanted to talk to the girl in the black lace dress. That's you, I think."

"Oh." Addy glanced over at Martin. The girl in the cream dress, who he was also supposed to impress, had joined the boy in the red tie and they were in full flow of conversation with Martin. Addy looked down at her glass, "I could use another drink, I guess. Um… the person who asked to see me? Do you know them?"

"Not well, but he's an invited guest. Some television guy, good reputation. Not the dangerous sort, but if he seems threatening just scream. I'd comfortably bet half the people at this party are trained in self-defense and wouldn't mind at all if this evening ended in some kind of violence."

"Good to know." Addy marveled. She didn't interrupt Martin's conversation but she caught his eye as she walked to the kitchen, and he repositioned himself ever so slightly to keep an eye on the door. He'd know when she returned, and he'd know if she'd been gone too long.

There was only one person in the kitchen, a handsome man leaning back against the counter, waiting patiently.

"Your Highness." he greeted her softly.

"I… Who… I'm not—"

He gave her a look, a 'do I look like an idiot' look, and Addy fell silent. "I don't know who you think you're fooling with that hair."

Addy crossed her arms, "Who, exactly, are you?"

"My name is Walter, I graduated from Kings three years ago."

"And while you were as student, you joined this secret society?"

"Yes, for my journalism."

Journalism. Reporter. Addy blanched, "You can't tell anyone I was here!"

"God no, of course not." he drank his champagne as if bored. "Gavril Fadaye would have a fit, for a start."

Addy's heart hammered in her chest, but she was just able to hear over the sound of her pulse rushing in her ears, "You know Gavril?"

Walter nodded, "He mentored me for the last two years. I don't work for him anymore, but he taught me so much. He introduced me to so many contacts… I owe him much more than one favor. But I'll start with this one." he sat aside his glass and stood upright. "You need to get out of here, Princess."

"Am I in danger?"

"Not physically, no. But your reputation is up for grabs here."

"Why would you say that? Everyone here has been wonderful."

"We are. But we're not _Palace_ material. We may be smart and driven, but we're also tattooed and pierced and queer, we're from a hodgepodge of religions and backgrounds… surely you've never been seen in public with the likes of us before." he suggested.

Addy wanted to disagree, after all, she'd _seen_ people with tattoos and piercings before. But, thinking back on it, perhaps those had all been on royal tours of different locations throughout Illéa, and not exactly at royal parties or Palace events. Palace guests were usually wealthy, clean cut, and homogenous.

"I wouldn't hesitate to invite any of you to the Palace." Addy said boldly. "There's nothing wrong with you."

Walter wasn't impressed, "You're not being noble, you're being stupid."

"Well, this is a _secret_ society, isn't it? Presumably the attendees are good at keeping secrets? How could any of this possibly affect my reputation if nobody ever finds out about it?"

"Just pretend, for a second, that they did." he replied. "Forget about how, and just play out the scenario. What would the public think of their next queen drinking alcohol at all hours of the night with a bunch of rough-around-the-edges non-conformists?"

"Everyone here is a university student or an alumni, and they were asked to join the club because they're seen as bright and talented. What's the problem?"

"You're talking about this party the way that it is." he scolded her like a child.

Addy looked at him like he was speaking gibberish, "What do you mean?"

"You're not considering _how it looks_." he clarified. "That's all that matters to people."

"Are you going to tell Gavril?" Addy cut to the chase.

"Of course not."

"Are you going to write a story about this?"

"Never." it was an affront to his sense of honor, clearly.

"Then who's going to see?" She was done with this condescending attempt to shame her. "Thank you for your discretion, and now I wish to return to my date." Her voice was all Princess Adrienne, haughty and commanding. She took a chilled glass of champagne from the platter next to her and turned to go.

Walter opened his mouth, but couldn't think of what to say to persuade her to leave, so he closed it again. Satisfied, Addy walked through the door and quietly returned to Martin's side. He was still talking with the boy in the red tie and the girl in the cream dress, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and Addy was more than happy to listen to their conversation and be done speaking for a while.

* * *

The party did eventually migrate to the backyard, even though Cory had warned Martin to stay as far away from the pool as possible. The weather outside was gorgeous, the impressively landscaped yard was lit up beautifully, and the inside of the house had grown stuffy to the partygoers, many of whom were now drunk on champagne.

Martin and Addy stuck to the patio, and Martin said, "Are you having fun?"

"You know what?" Addy's head hummed, and she found she couldn't even remember her usual worries, or if she could, she couldn't quite force herself to feel worried about them now. "I'm having a _lot_ of fun. Almost everyone here is amazing, and there's definitely never been a party like this at the Palace. I mean, Grandma Magda danced in the fountain one new years, but that's _it_."

Martin chuckled at the image and kissed her, "Grandma Magda sounds like my kind of lady."

"You two should chair a fountain dancing committee together, with fundraisers and parties to raise money for a good cause." Addy joked.

"That cause could be installing fountains in every home in Illéa."

"Yeah, that's what the people really need." Addy agreed.

Martin rested his forehead on her shoulder, laughing into her neck. The warm puffs of air sent chills all over her skin.

"Good date?" he checked in.

" _Great_ date."

He liked hearing her say that, if the expression on his face as he lifted it to look at hers was any clue.

From beside the gorgeous, glowing swimming pool, an absurdly gorgeous boy cried "Cannonball!" and sent everyone nearby shrieking away to protect their fancy clothes.

"You ass!" another boy jeered, patting down his suit to make sure it wasn't ruined.

Addy watched as the swimmer crested the waves he'd created crowing, "The water feels fantastic! Get in here, Cory, I _dare you!_ "

Cory rolled his eyes so dramatically that Addy could see it from all the way across the yard. He set aside the drink that had been perpetually attached to his hand all night, stripped down to his boxers to the sound of many hoots and catcalls, and splashed in next to the boy, swimming over to him and planting an enormous kiss on his lips.

"Who's for a round of drunk Chicken?" Cory called out to the onlookers.

"I definitely qualify." A girl in an emerald green dress swayed as she slipped off her shoes, then clumsily slung her dress over her shoulders and onto the ground. Satisfied that her expensive clothes were safe, she leapt into the pool, immediately thereafter joined by her date.

Addy had no idea what was happening, but apparently all four pool occupants did. Cory rode his date's shoulders, and the girl rode her date's shoulders, and they jousted.

"Who's going to win?" Martin asked, daring to venture a little closer to the pool, now that everyone would be too distracted to think of tossing him in.

"I pick the blonde girl." Addy said. "She's using her nails. Take it from someone with sisters, nails _hurt_."

Martin nodded and grinned, "In that case, I'll cheer for Cory. Whichever of us picked the loser has to pay for breakfast."

It was fun to root for opposing teams, but in the end nobody won and nobody lost. All around Addy and Martin, outer garments were abandoned for underwear and more and more people joined the game.

"Are you coming, newbie?" Antony, the twin they'd spoken to earlier in the evening, was carefully folding his clothes and setting them aside as he addressed Martin.

"No, I'm fine." Martin waved him on.

From in the pool, Cory had noticed Martin's reluctance and goaded,"Come on, have a little fun!" Before he was finally dislodged him from his date's shoulders and splashed spectacularly into the water.

"Go." Addy encouraged him. "I can sit and watch."

Martin hedged, "Are you sure? We can just leave if you want—"

"No, go have fun. I'll find some more cake to enjoy or something."

"Okay. Just a few minutes, and then we'll head out."

"Sounds good." Addy squeezed his hand.

She had to admit, she had a whole date's worth of fun just watching him blush as he took off his clothes in front of her. He wasn't too hairy, which Addy liked, and it was her turn to blush as she found herself incapable of looking away from his black boxer shorts when turned his back to her and hurried into the pool.

"It's okay, you know." Audrina, the tattooed twin, said. She was taking the time to carefully remove some of her jewelry before joining the others. "You don't have to swim, it's not a big deal."

"I know. It's fun to watch."

"It would also be okay if you wanted to." she shrugged one shoulder.

"I can't." Addy didn't elaborate.

"I'll bet Cory could find you one of his mother's swimming suits, if it's just the underwear thing. We want you to be comfortable, but we don't want to leave you out of the fun."

Addy shook her head, "No, really. I'm okay." To be honest, the underwear part wasn't a big deal to Addy. It wasn't that different from a swimming suit, and in many cases, more conservative than what she'd seen people photographed wearing at the beach.

"Alright," Audrina shrugged,"Would you unzip me?" As Addy helped her out of her dress, Audrina said, "If it's the hair you're worried about, you shouldn't be. We know it's fake, we know who you are, but we're not going to make a big deal about it. Some of us have famous parents, some of us don't, none of it makes a difference here."

"How long did you know?" Addy asked in a hushed whisper.

"We figured he might bring you. The two of you have been cozy all over campus." She nodded her head over toward Martin, "So I'd say we knew from the moment you walked through the door."

Addy had known it was a risk, but hearing it out loud actually made it all the more remarkable. "Nobody's asked me about my parents, or the Palace, or what my Aunt May is really like…"

Audrina began the work of unpinning her long black hair, "I guess we don't care enough. Is that okay?"

"It's great. It's a relief. I like it." Addy reassured her.

Undressed, Audrina's tattoos were on full display. They weren't just on her arms, they were on her shoulders and in a swirling design down her back. They were gorgeous, and Addy wondered for a wild moment if the next Queen of Illéa could get away with having a hidden tattoo or two.

Then, in a flash, Audrina joined the rest of the party in the pool, and Addy took a seat on a concrete bench, watching the revelry from a safe distance.

The machine designer in the headscarf, Safya, sat next to her. "They always make me lifeguard when they pull stunts like this." She rolled her eyes at their childishness.

"Do you ever get to swim with them?"

"Yeah, if they tell me ahead of time so I can bring my suit, or I'm not wearing a $500 dress."

Addy nodded her understanding, then said, "Do you wish you could join them?"

Safya watched the pool for a long moment. A couple of guys were trying to force each other underwater, and one of the girls was squirting water through her clasped hands toward her date's eyes.

"Nope." she said, satisfied with her answer. "While those idiots make fools of themselves swimming drunk in their underwear, I hide their clothes and make them pay me to tell them where I hid them."

"Really?" Addy laughed.

"Where do you think the $500 dress came from?" Safya winked.

The photographer emerged from the house, where he'd been organizing his wall of snapshots. He took one snap of Safya and Addy, "Landlubbers." he nodded to them, retrieving the new image from the end of his camera.

"Entrepreneurs." Safya corrected, picking up a discarded pair of pants on the ground next to the bench and searching the pockets. "Gum?" she offered, pulling her plunder out of the pocket for Addy to see.

"Maybe later." Addy giggled, returning her gaze to the pool to check on Martin. He'd now swum his way to the side, and was leaning casually against the far corner of the pool, chatting with another member of the secret society, likely further cementing his new place among them.

"Hey, kid," Safya sobered, "I've done the midnight pool party with this crowd before. I genuinely don't feel like bothering with it tonight. But if you want to go for a swim, I won't steal your dress."

Addy tore her gaze away from Martin's bare chest to offer a grateful smile to the girl, "I couldn't."

"Why not?"

The answer seemed so obvious, Addy couldn't believe she had to say it out loud. Because Princesses did not strip to their underwear and jump into a pool with a bunch of people she'd only just met.

But then Addy faltered. She wasn't a princess here, she hadn't been all night. She was just another guest at a top secret midnight party, something nobody spoke about except with each other. For anyone to gossip about her, they'd have to expose this secret society, one that had been around long enough to have wealthy, powerful, successful former members in all kinds of professions throughout Illéa.

These people had treated her like a friend all evening, they'd been kind and generous and let her disappear into the background because that's where she wanted to be. And then, when they'd gone for a swim, nobody had thrown her into the water or pressured her to do anything she didn't want to do, they respected her decision to sit on the bench and watch. And if she wanted to swim, they'd offered to find her something she'd be comfortable wearing.

These people weren't scary. Why had her parents and the guards made her so scared of this? For her entire life she'd been trained to fear people who hadn't been approved by the Palace, she'd been kept away from them except in special cases, and always with armed bodyguards keeping watch like hawks. But there was no danger here. Nobody wanted her dead, nobody wanted to upend the monarchy, in fact, both of those things would probably put a serious damper on the party.

And once again, Addy found herself wondering when in her life she'd ever have this chance again. Sure, it was silly and pointless, but her entire existence as heir had been serious and purposeful, so didn't that make this moment all the more rare and wonderful? Everyone looked like they were having so much fun in there, and if she was honest with herself, her heart ached to join them, even if just for a few minutes.

Addy looked over at Safya, "You won't steal my clothes?"

"Only because this is your first time." Safya teased.

Addy knew if she sat there and thought about this for even a second longer, she'd change her mind. She tugged the black wig off and sat it on the bench between them, then she removed the pins from her hair and it fell, tumbling down her back in red waves.

This was her last chance to back out, but she didn't want to back out. She was nervous and excited, she felt like she was about to parachute out of an airplane, when all she was really about to do was jump into a pool. Still, adrenaline buzzed through her, her heart racing, and she laughed the way some people laugh on rollercoasters as they're rocketed upside down and all around and they realize that the sky's the ground. In one motion, she stood and lifted the skirt of her black lace dress over her head, letting it fall onto the bench behind her. She walked out of her shoes as she raced to edge of the pool and jumped in before most people had even noticed she was coming.

Martin had seen the whole thing though. He was still gaping at her, wonderstruck, when she emerged from the water just a few feet away from him.

She laughed even as her eyes stung from her winged eyeliner turning into little black rivers on her face.

Martin came to his senses enough to gently trace her closed eyelids with his thumbs until most of the offending makeup was off.

"Hey there, gorgeous." he said when she opened her eyes to meet his.

Addy smiled into his palm, "I guess I'm not Robin anymore."

He shook his head, "You're so much better. You're _Addy_ and you're here with me…" he couldn't believe his luck.

Addy wrapped her arms around his neck , wrapped her legs around his hips, and kissed him. He held her there, attached at the lips, cherishing every heartbeat of this extraordinary moment for as long as they could manage.

* * *

The ride back to campus was quiet in the best possible way. Addy was exhausted and overwhelmingly happy, and she had a whole weekend ahead of her. Martin opened the car door for her again when they pulled onto her street, then thanked her twice for going with him that night. This had been the highlight of her whole semester, and he was _thanking_ her for it. She silenced him with a kiss.

He watched her until she disappeared behind her house, then he quietly drove away. The fire escape creaked just a little as she began climbing it, and she froze, terrified. But if she was caught now, she could just say she'd been sneaking out to go for a jog or something. Not great, but not terrible. As luck would have it, nobody came to investigate the sound, and she was able to sneak right back into her room undetected.

This time, Luke was not having a nervous breakdown on her bed. Instead, he was asleep in his own. She tiptoed into his room and sat on the edge of his bed, then brushed a thumb on his hand to wake him up.

"I'm back." she whispered.

"Safe?" he mumbled.

"Very."

It took him a moment, he was still waking himself up. He yawned and stretched beneath his warm blankets. Then, blearily, he blinked up at her, "Where did you go?"

"It's a secret." Addy grinned.

"Did you enjoy it?"

"It was like living someone else's life for three hours."

"And now the magic spell has worn off and you've turned back into a princess?"

"Yes."

"That makes Martin your fairy godmother." He warned her with a cheeky grin.

"You know what? I think he'd be okay with that. Fairy godmothers are the best."

"Mhmm." he closed his eyes.

"See you in the morning." Addy stood, and by the time she closed the door to his room, he was already drifting back to sleep.

Addy showered the chlorine away and crawled into bed, mind still racing from the night she'd had. She fell fast asleep within minutes, though, and so she dreamed that the secret society was meeting in the Palace swimming pool, with live piano music and a tattooing station and a fountain in the middle of the pool that spewed champagne instead of pool water. She woke up to a quiet knock on her door.

"Who?" she managed. She'd been sleeping hard.

"Me." Martin cracked the door open. He'd entered the house the normal way, by knocking on the front door and being let in by a guard. The sun was almost rising outside, if the blue light out her window was any indication. He had a box full of breakfast from the bakery and two iced cream coffees in his hands.

Addy squirmed, "I'm waking up." It was a command to herself more than a message for Martin.

He disappeared into the kitchen, placing their drinks in the refrigerator and their breakfast on the countertop, then he returned to her room. "Can I sleep on your sofa for a few hours?"

He was still dressed in date clothes. He hadn't even taken a nap yet, and he sounded exhausted.

"It's too small." Addy complained drowsily. Every time she tried to lay on it and read, her legs hung uncomfortably over the edge. The arms of the sofa were wooden and at a sharp angle, the university had something against students laying on sofas, apparently.

"The spare bed, then?" He pointed to the bed that, under normal circumstances, would have belonged to Addy's roommate. She'd been using it as a properly comfortable couch all year, and more recently as a surface to hold dirty clothes, homework assignments she was in the middle of working on, and a box of cereal she liked to snack on throughout the day and didn't feel like going the extra ten steps to the kitchen to retrieve every time.

Addy rubbed her eyes, embarrassed about the messy state of that spare bed. She stood up, her hair a fine mess having dried while she napped, and wrapped her arms around Martin for warmth. She did not like being out of her blankets. "I haven't washed the sheets for that bed since Meri slept over last week." She confessed.

Martin rested his cheek on top of her head, drowsily. "I don't care, I'm not scared of Meri's germs. I just—" he yawned widely.

"Lay down in my bed, I'll share Meri's germs." Addy insisted.

Nodding, Martin shrugged off his wrinkled jacket, the safe return of which Safya had granted him a bargain price for after swimming, just the spare change from his wallet. He tossed it, along with his white button down shirt, onto the chair in front of Addy's desk, then collapsed into her warm bed. "Your pillow smells good." he mumbled into it.

Addy stumbled in the dark to the tiny bedroom that Aunt Silvia had converted into her closet back in September and dug through the hamper, looking for the sheets. She found them covered in spilled syrup from the pancakes they'd eaten for 'breakfast in bed'. Grumbling, Addy abandoned them and blindly groped her way back to her room.

She climbed back into her bed and forced Martin to scoot over.

"Hm?"

"Sheets are sticky." she explained.

"Mmm." He made a little more room by wrapping an arm around her and Addy curled up on his chest. He was warm and he still smelled like the swimming pool, and his white undershirt was exceptionally soft. She was so tired, she didn't even really process what was happening. Falling asleep was exceptionally easy.

The next time she woke up, the sun was high in the sky and blinding through the curtains. There was movement from downstairs, but Martin and Addy were still all cuddled up.

When she'd woken up enough to properly realize what was happening, a jolt of adrenaline shot through her whole body. Now it hit her. She was in _bed_ with a _boy._

She was thirsty and desperate to brush her teeth, but any movement on her part would wake him up. She laid as still as possible for as long as she could, her insides all in a tizzy because all her mind could process was that she was in _bed_ with a _boy._

It felt like hours of laying there, thoughts stuck in a loop, neck growing stiff, mouth getting drier and drier.

Then, finally, Martin moved just a little.

Addy saw her chance, pretending the movement had jostled her. She moved her head just a little against his chest.

This movement woke him up a little more, he lowered his face on the pillow towards her hair.

She stretched her back and foot.

He scrunched his eyebrows in sleep. Then, a long pause, and he blinked his eyes open.

Addy had no clue what to say, she didn't even know where to begin.

He laid there for a moment in silence, studying his surroundings, and then said, "Those are beautiful stars."

Addy finally had a reason to rotate in bed. Her neck almost sang with relief. She gently rolled onto her back next to him, but he left his arm under her head to cushion her. "My Aunt May and Aunt Kenna did those."

"Do you ever worry that one might fall off the ceiling and smack you in the face?" he asked of the ceramic.

Addy giggled, "Now I will."

"My work here is done." he yawned. They fell silent again. Addy almost had time to start panicking about being in _bed_ with a _boy_ again. "Breakfast and coffee?" he offered her out of the blue, as if nothing was strange.

"Yes, please."

Martin carefully extricated himself from Addy and climbed out of her bed.

Suddenly, all was right with the world again. She wasn't in bed with a boy, she was just about to eat breakfast with Martin. Normal.

He offered her first pick of the pastries, handed her one of the cold coffees, and made space for himself on the junk couch. He sat there, legs crossed, enjoying breakfast while Addy lounged under her covers.

"Want to go for a walk through the park after this?" he asked.

Addy peeked out her bright window. It looked like a gorgeous day out there. "Yes. And maybe we could see a movie at the campus movie theater?"

"I haven't been in forever." he immediately agreed. Then he looked down at his wrinkled pants. "But let's stop by my dormitory first, so I can shower and change."

"That's reasonable," Addy allowed, "but only if we can get slushys at the movie theater. The only thing last night was missing was slushys." she joked.

"Deal." he said, through a mouthful of pastry. And just like that, their date continued.


	25. Chapter 24

When Addy woke up on Monday morning, her pillow still smelled like chlorine and _boy._ It seemed impossible, Martin had only slept in her bed for five or six hours, but it had officially been two days now and the scent lingered.

She loved it.

She prepared her own breakfast and coffee that morning, making responsible use of the groceries she had instead of giving into temptation and buying something sweet from the bakery. She'd get a refill on her allowance the following weekend, but she and wanted to make sure she had plenty to spend on a breakfast with Meri that they'd planned for Wednesday, so she was rationing herself for a few days.

She didn't have time to wash her dishes before she had to head off for her first class, but Luke was awake and grumbling through making his morning cup of tea, and he took responsibility for cleaning them while he waited for the water to boil. Addy knew she'd have the chance to thank him the next day, when he had the early class and she'd be around the dormitory later.

The gray skies opened up and it began raining on her walk across campus, so Addy put her book bag over her head and hurried, eyes downcast, to get inside and not be too uncomfortably soaked for the next few hours. Even so, she noticed a couple of girls standing huddled under an umbrella, staring at her the whole time she hurried past them on the sidewalk. She imagined she probably looked pretty stupid, and it probably didn't help that she was their future queen.

Despite the inconvenience, it was really soothing to sit silently in a morning class, when the campus was still quiet, and listen to the rain patter against the window, with the light from outside all dim and soft. The professor was happy to lecture about economics while all the students got to listen and doodle some notes, never having to summon the energy to speak themselves, and Addy emerged from the class feeling calm and relaxed.

The campus was beginning to wake up now. There were double the number of students in the hallway, which meant double the noise. The rain was now only a slight drizzle, though the air was still chilly and damp. Addy spotted Martin on the sidewalk as she headed out of the building and felt her face light up at the sight of him. Now she felt awake.

"Morning, M'lady." he greeted her with a peck on her cheek.

"Are you here to walk me to class?"

"Yes."

"You know my father already pays someone to do that, don't you?" she nodded back to Weaver, who was keeping a respectful distance but wasn't so far back that he couldn't hear them. He smirked in her direction, but tried to look like he was scanning the horizon for threats.

"I bet I can steal Weaver's job." Martin pretended, offering her his arm.

She accepted it, lacing fingers with him, and they continued on toward Addy's next class. "Do you have any combat training?"

"Combat training? To walk around behind you and sit in the hall outside of your classes?" he teased.

"What about weapons training?" Addy carried on her interview.

"My greatest weapon is my quick wit." he winked.

"So nothing, then." Addy joked, and he tickled her ribs in retribution. She danced out of the way, begging for a truce, so he relented and they went back to holding hands.

"Hey," he voice was serious now, "My parents are coming into town next week."

"Really?"

"They're going to spend some time visiting me, and then they're going to move my winter clothes and stuff back home for me. It'll save me a lot of packing during finals."

"That's nice of them." Addy said, but she felt like she was either going to vomit or float away on the slightest breeze, she was so anxious and thrilled at the thought of what Martin would say next.

He didn't keep her in suspense for long. "So… do you want to meet them?" he offered.

Addy stopped walking and turned to him. Something about the way he'd asked, so vulnerable, so afraid she might refuse, immediately suppressed the internal eruption she'd been having the moment before. Now she was calm and clear, and wanted to make absolutely sure he understood her. "Of course I want to meet your parents."

"Yeah?" he asked, relieved.

"Yeah."

"Good." he grinned.

She took a moment to peck him on the lips before they continued their walk, drawing attention from a few passersby for the public display of affection. She'd been meaning to be more discreet with Martin, she reminded herself. Being in a relationship like this was new territory for her, but her parents _never_ kissed in public, and when in doubt, she knew to try to mimic them as much as possible.

Lenore was already leaned back in her desk, rereading their essay one more time when Addy arrived at seminar. Martin had escorted her all the way to the door and leaned in for a kiss, but Addy stopped him with a squeeze to his hand. It was a good thing, too, because a glance around showed that several people in the hallway had noticed she was there and were watching her. She promised to see him later, and he squeezed her hand 'goodbye'.

"Spot any mistakes?" Addy asked, sinking into her desk happily. She was going to meet her boyfriend's parents. Suddenly their whole relationship felt mature and strong, and it left her remembering the conversation she'd had with her Aunt May in the gardens after her birthday ball. Addy was starting to feel like she had what her parents had, which was more than she'd ever dreamed she'd get. It didn't mean everything would be easy or perfect, but that didn't make it any less amazing.

"We missed a comma, I wrote it in with a pen, it's fine." Lenore said, distracted. Then, after a moment she turned to Addy, "I…" she stopped herself.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

The look on her face clearly told Addy it wasn't 'nothing'. "What is it, Lenore?"

"Never mind."

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Is it the paper?"

"No."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Addy narrowed her eyes at her friend, turning one of Lenore's own patented icy glares back on her.

Lenore softened, "It's nothing. I… was going to ask you when we met yesterday to work on the paper, I just… it wasn't important."

"You can ask me anything, Lenore." Addy reassured her.

Lenore scowled, deciding she was being stupid. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to tough it out, "I was just wondering about that boy."

"That… boy?" Addy looked around the class. They were surrounded by boys, which one did she mean?

"The one we ate lunch with at the Palace. The one who you've known forever."

"Oh, Xavier. What about him?"

Lenore fell silent. She didn't have an answer. "He was nice to talk to." she finally came up with.

Addy nodded. Lenore and Xavier had had a great conversation over lunch.

Lenore finally continued, "I wouldn't… I wouldn't _hate_ talking to him again."

Addy's jaw actually dropped, her mouth a small oval of surprise. Determined not to make Lenore feel bad about this surprisingly vulnerable confession, Addy quickly said, "Yeah, I can see why. Xavier's a great conversationalist."

Lenore gave a little nod, as though hardly able to believe that she wouldn't have to confess any further interest in Xavier in order to get what she wanted from Addy.

Addy said, "I could make sure he gets the telephone number to your dormitory?"

"Okay." Lenore abruptly turned around in her seat, which forced Addy to bite down on a giggle. It was as subtle an attempt at nonchalance as Rosie had when pretending she didn't care what presents she was getting for Christmas, and Addy found that absolutely adorable.

Professor Dearwood arrived and handed each member of the class a square of paper, each with a different letter of the alphabet at the top. Addy's was G. Below the letter was a brief description of a unique imaginary country, including a few characteristics of that country's leader, an overview of how important that country believed itself to be, and what Illéa might want from that country in terms of alliance, trade, or pressure that the imaginary country could exert on other key countries in the world for Illéa's ultimate benefit.

The class had five minutes before they'd have to stand up and make a quick 'presentation', convincing the imaginary country to do what Illéa wanted. Professor Dearwood was representing each of the pretend countries in the negotiations, so the whole class knew they'd probably crash and burn going toe-to-toe with her. Still, the challenge was exciting. Addy hoped at least one of her classmates succeeded in persuading Dearwood, even if she herself couldn't.

She had just finished putting together a strategy wherein she'd ask for a joint trade deal with India, the Australian islands, and Country G, when Weaver walked into the classroom and stopped at her desk. "We need to go." he said curtly.

Addy didn't understand. Her first thought was embarrassment at the interruption. "What are you doing?"

"We've been called back to a lockdown at your dormitory, let's go." he repeated. " _Now_ , your Highness." he said when Addy still stared dumbly up at him.

Addy turned to look in Professor Dearwood's direction, as if she could put a stop to this, then immediately back at Weaver again, "Why? What happened?"

"We won't know until we get there."

Addy stood, shuffling her belongings into her bag, then followed her bodyguard out of class. Everything about leaving class early was _wrong._ The hallways were abandoned, voices of other professors drifted out of various classrooms, the sun was in the wrong place in the sky for leaving this building, it wasn't lunch time yet, all of Addy's senses seemed to scream out that this was _wrong_.

"Weaver?"

"Keep moving, Princess."

"What is this the protocol for?" This way, she could at least begin to prepare herself for the emergency. "What things did Uncle Aspen think were so bad that I had to be removed from class and locked down in my dormitory?"

"It could be a few things, it could be something new." Weaver replied, tense and alert as they hurried out of the building and made their way as directly as possible to Addy's little house.

"But—"

"If the Palace is in lockdown, so are you."

"Oh…" Addy couldn't imagine why the Palace would be in lockdown. Unless it was a drill? As she opened her mouth to ask, Weaver shook his head. They wouldn't have pulled her from lessons for a drill.

Addy continued in front of Weaver, his urgency and speed forcing her to move almost at a light jog. When they finally rounded the corner to Addy's street, Addy saw many, _many_ Palace cars in front of her building, as well as many additional guards talking to one another authoritatively, clearly busy doing something.

When they saw her approaching, they froze and bowed, which was incredibly awkward because Addy was still half a street away. It seemed like ages before she got to them and addressed them directly by asking them what was happening, and then they finally rose.

One of the men said, "Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen is waiting for you upstairs."

"Her M…" Addy hurried to process the strange words. " _Mom_? Mom's here?"

"She's expecting you." The guard bowed to her again.

To put them at ease so that they could stop bowing and get back to work, Addy entered her house without asking the thousands of questions burning at the back of her throat and climbed the stairs at a brisk clip. She couldn't help but overhear lots more voices than usual downstairs, and all of them sounded concerned.

Sure enough, Addy's mother stood in Addy's living room, wearing a blue business dress and heels, her work attire. On the sofa cuddling Elephanty, however, was decidedly not a work companion. Rosie looked up as soon as Addy emerged from the stairs and grinned. "Addy!"

She leapt off the sofa and ran over to Addy, hugging her tightly. "We came here!"

"I see that." Addy hugged her tightly. "What are you doing here, Buddy?"

"Member… Member… Member my birthday and Mommy said we could come have a sleepover? We're having a sleepover!" Rosie announced excitedly.

America smiled, though it did not quite reach her eyes, "Hello, Bird."

"What's happening, Mom?" Addy asked, though before the words were out of her mouth, her mother had enveloped her in a tight hug.

America sighed, a long heavy breath. Then she said, "We're having a sleepover, of course."

"But class… I'm in _lockdown_. Is the Palace alright?"

"The Palace is fine. This was just… it was the best, most efficient way to rally the kind of guards your father and General Leger wanted here. If Buddy and I came, all our normal retinue would instantly be freed to help."

"Dad's okay? He's safe? He's healthy?" Addy checked. If her dad had ordered this, he couldn't be too badly hurt.

This was the nightmare she'd lived with for as long as she could remember. If something terrible happened to her father unexpectedly, the guards would swarm her and move her somewhere safe and tell her that her daddy was dead and she had to be queen now. Her heart was pounding in her chest now that she'd finally let herself think of the worst, and she didn't dare to hope that her mom was there to tell her that nothing was wrong. Something had to be very wrong for the Queen of Illéa to be here, in her dormitory.

"Your father's safe and healthy, I promise." America hushed her with a soothing hand on her hair. "Everyone's safe and healthy. Don't worry about that for another second."

"Then what's happening? Is it war? Did something happen with the New Asian rebels?"

"Nothing like that." America pressed a kiss to Addy's forehead, and Addy let some of the panic in her stomach loosen into confusion.

America glanced down at Rosie, who was listening intently, staring wide eyed up at the both of them. "I saw that you have the right ingredients in your cupboard to make sugar cookies."

Rosie's eyes lit up.

Addy didn't look away from her mother.

"Trust me, Bird. Let's have a nice afternoon together and we'll worry about the rest later."

Was her mom lying? Maybe it was Swendway and her mom was still keeping the secret, or maybe it was some other country Addy didn't even know to be suspicious of yet. Something terrible was happening somewhere, otherwise why would any of this be happening? "Do we need to go back to the Palace?" Addy asked seriously, "Are we safe here?"

"We're safe here. And we need to stay here tonight. We'll go back to the Palace tomorrow." America said simply, running a hand through Rosie's blond curls.

"Tomorrow?" Addy asked, "All of us?"

"All of us." America confirmed.

"For how long?" There was trepidation in her tone and on her face. How long would she have to be away from school?

"We'll see." America replied simply.

That was bad. That was really, really bad.

 _What_ had happened?

Something Rosie couldn't know about?

What could be so bad that America was protecting Rosie?

"Hey," America squeezed Addy's hand. "We're together, we're safe, and everything will be okay. Let's just make some lunch and bake some cookies."

Addy nodded.

Rosie twirled Elephanty around and then said, "Hey, I saw me on your wall." She pointed to the collage tree of framed photographs Maxon had made for Addy the previous September.

"Did you? Where?" Addy allowed Rosie to point out all the pictures of herself as America began rummaging through the refrigerator for lunch food.

While Addy kept Rosie busy, America put together some sandwiches. She cut off the crusts and quartered them so that they were appropriately sized for Rosie's hands, but Addy probably appreciated the gesture most. It reminded her of when she was a little girl, it made her feel small and safe again.

America, Rosie, and Addy ate at the kitchen table and talked about Rosie's lessons, Addy's lessons, and America's work. With lunch in her stomach and her family beside her, Addy started to feel less scared. Something was happening, but everyone was safe. Whatever it was, they'd figure it out.

Lucas arrived just as America and Addy began pulling ingredients for sugar cookies.

He was out of breath, flushed, his sandy curls were slightly damp around his temples which made them hang heavier than usual around his face. Addy gulped.

"I came as soon as I heard—" he stopped himself, spotting America and Rosie. "Your Majesty." he bowed.

Before America could dismiss his bow in favor of a hug, Rosie launched herself across the kitchen. She had been sitting on the countertop next to Addy, holding tight to the empty mixing bowl. Now, she'd slid down from the counter in a flash and used the momentum to spring into Luke's arms.

"Lucas!" Rosie exclaimed.

"Rosalynn, my dear, how are you?" Lucas greeted her by scooping her up so that they could see one another clearly.

"I'm good, we're making cookies. I get to sleep here tonight."

"Oh?" Luke looked up at America and Addy, questioningly.

America nodded, "Yes."

"Well, okay then." Lucas hugged her. "I'm glad to see you."

"Um, Luke, I can't find your stuff." Rosie reported.

"Ah, it's right through there." Luke pointed behind himself, at the door on the far end of the common area.

"There?" Rosie was confused.

"Indeed."

Rosie wiggled, communicating that she wanted to be released, so Lucas sat her on the ground and she hurried over. She opened the door, then turned her most penetrating little stare on him. "That's my room." she said, seriously.

Luke was so taken aback that he burst out laughing. In spite of everything, Addy couldn't stop herself from laughing, too. Rosie was so genuinely irked, and Addy realized that must have been exactly what she, herself, had looked and sounded like on the very first night Luke moved into the dormitory.

Luke met Addy's eyes, sharing the private joke, as Rosie waited for an apology and America tried to figure out what the look between Luke and Addy meant.

"What's funny?" Rosie demanded. "Addy said that's my room!"

"I apologize, your Highness." Luke hurried over and knelt on one knee before her. "I needed a good place to sleep and keep my clothes. Your room was the only place I could go. I promise, you can sleep in your room anytime you like. I'll sleep somewhere else tonight."

Rosie weighed his case heavily.

America helped her, "Bud, how would you feel if you were far, far away from your family and Lucas had a nice, snuggly room you could borrow to sleep in? Wouldn't you like to sleep there?"

"Yes. It sounds good."

"Especially if Andrew could be there to keep an eye on you, like Addy's keeping an eye on Lucas." America added.

Rosie sighed, reminded of her long lost friend. "I love Andrew."

"We all do." America laughed. "So you understand now why Lucas borrowed your room, don't you? That all makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Rosie agreed. "Okay, I'm not mad now."

"Good." Lucas smacked a kiss on her cheek and Rosie giggled infectiously at the noise.

"Lucas, would you like to join us for cookies?" America offered.

When he replied, his attention was fully on America and Adrienne. "Yes. Let me help." And it was abundantly clear that he wasn't talking about baking. Whatever was happening, he'd found out somehow. And Addy, much to her annoyance, was still very much in the dark.

* * *

The afternoon passed quickly. Everyone had a little cookie dough, then a cookie when it was hot and gooey, fresh from the oven. Rosie had Addy read to her from some books she'd brought from the Palace, and then Rosie drew pictures with some supplies America had brought along. Ultimately, she gifted three drawings to Lucas and two to Addy.

She went down for a nap very suddenly. One second she was fine, the next she was crying over a broken crayon. America suggested she lay down for a while in 'her room', if Lucas didn't need it at the moment. Lucas was more than happy to tuck Rosie into his bed with Elephanty to keep her company. Addy watched through the open doorway as Lucas pressed a kiss to Rosie's curls and then flicked off the light. "See you soon, Princess."

The room was dimly lit with what afternoon light managed to filter through his curtains, but it was dark enough that it wouldn't take Rosie too long to drift off. Luke closed the door behind him with an ominous click.

Addy gulped hard as her friend and her mother turned their gazes onto her.

"What's happening?"

America didn't speak for a moment. Her mouth was tight, her eyes falling to her hands folded in her lap as she gathered her thoughts.

"Tea?" Lucas offered.

"Luke, _what's going on_?" Addy snapped, annoyed at him. It was one thing for her mother to be overprotective about information, but Luke knew it wasn't his place to protect her anymore.

"Tea would be wonderful." America replied gratefully.

Lucas got to work.

"Who's dead, mother?" Addy insisted, seething.

"Everyone's alive." America replied steadily.

"And we're not a war?"

"No."

"Are we under some other kind of attack? Is it like the rebels, when they attacked Dad's Selection?"

"No."

"Then why are you here? Why am I being sent back to the Palace?"

America sighed heavily, at a total loss for words. Giving up on trying to explain, she reached into her leather satchel, the one she took with her to keep important government documents secure while she traveled. It was rare for America to go on an overnight trip without it.

But instead of pulling out a government document or official report, she pulled out a glossy, almost aggressively colorful magazine. The back cover of it was an advertisement for an expensive facial cream. She sat it down on the table in front of Addy and then gently flipped it over so that the front cover was exposed.

Addy's face.

Addy's face four times over.

In the top right corner, it was Addy in a lace dress and black wig, wearing heavy makeup and drinking from a glass of champagne.

In the bottom right corner, Addy in heavy makeup, wearing the wig, laughing with tattoo-covered Audrina.

In the bottom left corner, Addy and Martin stood nose to nose, clearly having just shared a kiss.

And enormous, covering the entire background of the cover, Addy in her underwear, soaking wet, making out with Martin in the pool. Red text splashed next to them: _Party Princess Exposed in Sexy Pool Lip Lock with Secret Lover!_

Everything inside Addy was screaming, a harsh, piercing wail, and her cheeks blazed hot. Her eyes watered with the force of it all, even as her throat went dry as cotton.

And just as instantly, her senses were overwhelmed with it all, and all the screaming inside of her stopped. She was quiet and still and completely, totally empty.

America had been watching her reaction carefully. "Let's start with something basic. That's your boyfriend, right? The boy from the Palace Easter celebration?"

Addy nodded blankly.

"How long have you been dating him?"

Addy shrugged.

"Adrienne." America paused, waiting for Addy to tear her eyes away from the magazine. Finally, Addy complied, meeting her mother's intense blue stare. "How long have you been dating him?"

"I don't know." The words were unintelligible, not even a whisper.

"What?"

Addy shook her head, refusing. This couldn't happen, not like this. Martin had been _hers_. She wanted to be the one to decide when and how to talk about him with her mother. She wanted it to be on the balcony over the summer, and for them to be up later than all of Addy's brothers and sisters. She wanted them to be gossiping about it all over ice cold lemonade. It was supposed to end with America helping Addy think of ways to introduce Martin to the people of Illéa as a potential contender in her Selection.

Not here.

Not now.

Not this.

"Okay, then." America pressed on. "Have you dated anyone other than this boy while you were here? Is there any chance a picture of you kissing another boy might come out over the next few days?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Addy snapped, "I've never kissed _anyone_ but Martin, Mom!"

America tilted her head to the side reproachfully, "I'm here to help you."

"No you're not."

"Adrienne." America chastised.

"You're here to help _you_! You and Dad think this makes you look like bad parents!"

America shook her head sadly, "No we don't, Addy."

"Then you think it's embarrassing for the monarchy!" Addy's voice raised, even as she tried to keep it down. To keep from disturbing Rosie.

America slid out of her chair and rounded the table, bending down to clutch Addy's head tight to her chest. "I'm _so_ sorry that this happened, Bird."

Addy didn't want her mom's hug. She couldn't stand it, in fact, it made her feel like she couldn't breathe. Addy twisted away and stood up, dashing to her bedroom before her mom could stop her. Addy closed the door hard and dove into bed, letting her blankets swallow her whole.

She closed her eyes, but all she could see was that headline. All she could imagine was the entire world looking at her in her underwear. Judging her. Her dad had seen it. Her Uncle Aspen had seen it. Every adult man she'd ever met and respected had seen it. That kiss had been private, and now it was painfully public.

The scope of how terrible this was was too vast to comprehend all at once.

She whimpered softly, pressing the side of her face hard into her pillow. She was never leaving this bed again. She wanted to die right here, as soon as possible. Maybe she could convince the guards she was a threat to the monarchy and they could just take her out with a headlock—

America gently opened the door, spying the Addy-shaped lump in the bed. She closed the door softly and perched beside Addy, folding the blanket back just far enough to find Addy's red hair. She ran her hands through her daughter's locks over and over, the same thing she did for all of her children when they had trouble sleeping.

Addy's pillow was getting wetter now, so she curled a little on it to find a dry spot and keep on crying.

After a few minutes of sitting there in the dark, America crawled over Addy and laid down in the space between Addy's body and the wall. Then she continued massaging Addy's head.

"Why aren't you mad?" Addy asked finally.

"I'm just not."

"I want you to be mad at me. I did something bad."

"I noticed." America said wryly.

"So? Am I punished?"

When America realized what her daughter was asking for, it was like a blow to the stomach. Her expression crumpled with pain. This had not been Addy's goal at all, and it alarmed her enough to turn away from her pillow and study her mom's face carefully.

"Oh, Addy."

"Get it over with," Addy encouraged her. "Ground me or something. Take away a privilege."

America shook her head sadly, swiping at her eyes to dry them. She sniffled and said, "It doesn't work that way when you're a grown up."

"Sure it does! Whatever you and Dad pick, I'll do it."

"No… baby, no, this is too big for that."

"What are you talking about? I snuck away from my guards! I kissed a boy in a swimming pool! Punish me!"

America shushed her, and Addy realized her voice had raised again. America traced Addy's cheekbone with her thumb and said, "If you'd failed to clean up your room… if you hadn't done your homework… if you'd been mean to one of your brothers and sisters… Your dad and I could've punished you. And when the punishment was over, you could've been forgiven. Absolved. A clear conscience. Sweetheart, I can't give that to you anymore. I can't clear you of this one. I'm sorry, I would do it in a heartbeat if I could."

Addy curled up into a smaller ball, now entirely in the fetal position, pressed against her mom. "Then how do I fix this?"

America shook her head, "I don't know. But everyone who loves you is going to help you, Addy, you're not alone. It might take time for the people to forget about this, and you might have to consistently remind them who you really are until they remember it for themselves, but you can do it."

Addy groaned. She'd rather be grounded, it would be so much simpler.

America lowered her hand from Addy's cheek and wrapped her arm around Addy's knees and stomach.

"Your father is devastated."

"We were just swimming! It was just a kiss in the swimming pool! I didn't have a bathing suit with me—"

"No, Addy. Not that. That's not what you did wrong."

Addy blinked, "It feels like what I did wrong."

"That magazine wants you and everyone else in the world to think that it's wrong for a girl to go swimming with a boy, and then to kiss him. Well let me tell you something, I've gone swimming with your father far more scantily clad than you were, and we kissed a _lot_."

" _Mom—"_ Addy groaned, trying not to imagine it. To her disgust, she failed, but that headline from the magazine was finally out of her vision.

"None of those pictures depict _bad_ behavior, and if you were a boy, the headline would be very, very different. No, the kiss isn't the problem. You know what the problem is, you already told me so."

Addy felt around until she found America's hand, then she took it. Unsure what would make her feel better, she placed her mom's hand directly on top of her face. "I'm sorry for sneaking out, Mom." she said, her lips smushed a little by America's thumb.

America smiled a little, gently flicking Addy's nose. "Would you be sorry if you hadn't been caught?"

"No." Addy replied honestly.

"Then you're not sorry."

"I…" Addy wasn't sure how to explain it to her. "I had the time of my life at that party, and I don't think it's so unreasonable to let me go somewhere without an armed predator as my bodyguard."

"Armed predator? I don't think Weaver will appreciate that title. He's gone from 'mobile hair braider' and 'Elephanty patrolman' to armed predator in just a few short years…"

It was true, Weaver had always been far more to Addy than a bodyguard. When she was little and the royal family was on a tour and her hair had come undone, he'd learned how to braid it back into submission. That skill was far from his military training. And when they'd traveled and Addy'd had to spend the night away from the Palace, he'd been in charge of finding Elephanty in the royal luggage and making certain it made its way to her by bedtime. That task hadn't come from his military superiors either, Addy had given it to him herself, and he'd always performed her tasks with reverence.

"How's Weaver?"

"Shaken up. He didn't see it coming." America replied honestly. Then she said, "Bird, if you'd asked to go to the party and given Uncle Aspen time to clear the guests and the location—"

Addy shook her head, knowing what her mom was going to say. "It was a surprise. It was a gift to me, not to have to know every little detail about everything before going somewhere. It was spontaneous and _fantastic_. And anyway, it was a secret society. They wouldn't put their names all on one list for the Palace, no one outside of the group is supposed to know anything about them."

"Are you in their group then?"

"No. They invited Martin. I was just his guest."

"Really?" America raised her eyebrows, surprised.

"Do you have any idea how great it is to go to a party and not have to be the guest-of-honor?"

America smirked and sighed heavily, collapsing onto an empty sliver of Addy's pillow. "It's been a few years, but I still remember."

"Oh. Right, sorry, I wasn't thinking." Addy apologized. Her mom had had a whole life before becoming royal. Addy would give anything for seventeen non-royal, normal years like her mom had had.

"I was a musician, I used to play at parties all the time." America said. Addy thought of the boy at the piano, the one who'd improvised brand new music on the spur of the moment, and how much she'd loved the song he'd invented for her. If she'd stayed home, that song would never have existed. How could she be sorry for it? "I loved being able to fade into background noise." America continued. "I never wanted to be famous. I knew my life would never be the same when your dad read out my name on the list of his Selected, and I wasn't okay with it. I'd had a whole other life in mind."

"So you don't blame me for not wanting to be the Princess every once in a while?"

"Of course not. You think I want to be the Queen every day?"

"… It sorta seems like you do."

"At least three times a week I wake up wanting to cuddle up with Lief or Rosie and spend the day just being their mom. A few times a month I get the wild idea to order up a car and run away to Grandma's, and just be her daughter for a while. And your father and I can't stop ourselves from imagining what our lives might be like without budget meetings and infrastructure development plans and international relations. If there was a place we could go and not have to be the King and Queen for a few hours…"

Addy reached her hand up to gently poke her mom's chin. "Well, I found a place like that for me. How can you expect me to be sorry?"

"Addy, staying with your guards isn't an act of obedience, it's an act of love. Even if I was walking into a pillow museum, and the walls were made of pillows and the floor was made of mattress, I'd take my guards with me. And not for my own safety. I'd do it because that's what helps your dad sleep more than a couple of hours per night, and I love him more than any free time at a pillow museum. Do you understand that?"

"I just wanted something for me. It doesn't mean I don't love Dad."

"I know that, honey." America tugged Addy's finger off of her chin and instead held her hand tightly. "We'll have _lots_ of time to talk this through over the next few days—"

She was interrupted by a knock at the door, and when no one objected, Luke popped his head in. "Tea is ready." he balanced two cups, including the one he'd given Addy for her birthday, on a small tray. "Your Majesty—"

"Aunt Ames—" America corrected him gently. "It's just us here, Luke."

"Aunt Ames, I remember that you take yours with sugar. Er… lots of sugar." he handed one of the cups to her. The remaining cup, Addy's cup, contained tea so pale that it was obvious she was basically being handed a cup of warm sweet cream. She thanked him with the round, grateful expression in her eyes.

Addy sat up and sipped her "tea", the edge dulled off of her pain and humiliation now.

"Luke, I have to go home for a little while." Addy said as Luke sat down on her junk bed. She'd tidied it up the previous day, so at least Luke had a clean place to sit.

"I understand."

America nodded, "It's not safe for her here until the frenzy dies down. Depending on how successful Gavril is in redirecting the public's attentions, it might be a week or two until Addy can come back."

Luke seemed to wilt. "Final exams. The semester's going to be over soon…"

"We'll work something out, if—" America stopped herself.

Addy frowned, a sour ache in her stomach, "If I'm allowed to finish school at all?"

"You can't be here if you can't be safe here." America said simply.

Addy wanted to retort back, to snap that she'd always been safe here, even on secret dates with Martin. But it wouldn't do any good, not without making the case to her dad, too. America wouldn't make any decisions without Maxon, Addy knew all too well.

"Please let me know if there's _anything_ I can do to help. I can be a character witness, speak to the public on your behalf…"

Addy shook her head, "I'm surprised you haven't said 'I told you so.'"

Luke furrowed his brow, stung. "Are you?"

"Well… you did tell me so, didn't you?"

"I _never_ wanted anything like this to happen to you, Adrienne, even if I thought your sneaking out was reckless."

Addy sipped from her cup, sufficiently put in her place.

"We'll keep you updated on everything, Luke." America promised. "Even if we can't find a job for you, we'll make sure you know what's happening."

Addy jolted with a realization, "Mom, I have to come back in the fall, I have to be here or Luke can't stay. He'd have to go back to England, he doesn't have enough security without mine—"

America hushed her. "We'll get it all worked out. Luke, don't worry about it, we'll make sure you have plenty of security one way or another. Illéa always protects foreign dignitaries visiting Illéan soil."

Luke nodded, but he didn't look relieved.

Honestly, Addy knew the feeling.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, after several more waves of shame had washed over Addy and then receded again, it occurred to her that Martin was probably in the midst of this chaos, too. Addy asked America if Martin could come over and hide out here, in the secure compound of guards, but America reassured her that guards had been dispatched to keep Martin safe, and that Addy needed space from Martin, at least publicly, for a few days.

Rosie was a great distraction all afternoon. She thought of Addy's dormitory as some kind of clubhouse, a giant play place where Addy was the boss instead of America. They played board games with Luke and, when the guards gave them permission, went to play in the tiny rectangle of yard behind Addy's house.

As the sun began to set, America called them back inside. "Daddy sent us dinner from that Italian restaurant, come and eat."

Addy scowled just thinking of her father, "Check to see if he poisoned mine." Addy said as she passed her mother on her way back into the house.

America stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, "Addy, _no_. Your father loves you more than anything. He's angry, but he doesn't want to hurt you."

Addy folded her arms, "I was kidding… mostly."

"Your dad would _never_ hurt you, don't think that for even a heartbeat." America insisted.

"Mom, _seriously_." Addy turned away, "I know that."

"Good." America said, letting Addy pass by. Upstairs, the kitchen table was full of delicious smelling foods.

"Ooooh, I remember this stuff!" Rosie clapped her hands a couple of times at the mushroom risotto. "It's a weird vegetable, but it's good." she told Luke.

"Want some?" America offered her, digging out the cheap plastic dishes Addy and Luke used.

"Yes."

"How much?"

Rosie considered her options. Then she held up two little fingers to show that she wanted two scoops. America dolloped out two appropriately sized portions and then handed Rosie the bowl with a spoon. "Blow on it first, it's hot." America warned her.

Rosie sat on the stiff little sofa and carefully extricated a spoonful, fastidiously blowing air onto the spoon in enormous puffs. When she was satisfied that she wouldn't be burned, she took a big bite.

"Okay?" America checked, making sure Rosie wasn't scalded.

"Mmm…" Rosie drawled out, reassuring her mother that she was fine.

America served Luke next, handing him a plate of some kind of heavenly-looking chicken parmesan.

Addy helped herself to some salad after catching a mouth-watering whiff of the dressing, and America followed her lead, then joined Rosie on the couch.

"No, Mommy. I don't need you." Rosie insisted, turning her little nose up in the air.

"Can't I sit by you just because I like you?" America laughed.

"No." Rosie sat taller.

"Come here Aunt Ames, I could use the assistance." Luke joked, offering America the chair next to him.

America obliged her youngest daughter, allowing her a little more independence to eat without any help.

"What about me, Bud, can I sit by you?" Addy asked.

"Nobody can. I'm big." Rosie insisted.

Laughing, Addy compromised, "I gotta sit somewhere, Bud, the table's all full of delicious foods. There's nowhere for me to set my plate. What if I sit right here?" Addy tapped the floor with her toe.

Rosie frowned, "No, too close."

"Okay. Here?" Addy took a step back.

Rosie considered the space between herself and Addy. "Yeah." she determined.

Addy sat on the floor with a chuckle, but the smile was off her face by the first bite. Her baby sister was a great distraction, she was the only thing that had made this day of waiting bearable, but every lull in conversation brought the magazine cover back to the front of Addy's attention. She'd been photographed in bathing suits before, once at the Palace pool for a 'day in the life' special involving a lot of the royal family splashing around and having fun, and again to support Illéan surfers at the beach, showcasing their talents before heading off to an international competition. The world had seen her body before.

But this was different. This made her feel queasy. Was she overreacting? What was the difference between underwear and swimming suits, really?

The answer was pretty obvious to her as she poked at a cheese crumble in her salad. People were supposed to see those swimming suits. Nobody was supposed to have seen her underwear. People were supposed to watch her swim with her family. Swimming with Martin was private. Publishing those pictures had been a violation of her privacy, her fundamental ability to decide how much of herself belonged to the public at any given moment.

The intimacy of that kiss on the cover of a magazine made her cheeks flush all over again. She wanted to disappear forever. Her parents had been photographed kissing a few times over the years, but always in a chaste and appropriate manner. There was nothing chaste about the picture of that kiss with Martin.

"Addy?" Rosie was watching her, worried, "It's okay, you can sit be me. I changed my mind." She was worried that the unshed tears in Addy's eyes were because Rosie had made her sit on the floor.

"I'm fine, Rosebud. Don't worry." Addy pasted on a huge smile, then made a goofy face at her sister to prove the point.

"Are you sad of your vegetables?" Rosie asked, eyeing Addy's salad suspiciously. "My vegetables are much better, you should try this." She pointed to a mushroom.

Addy set aside her salad and joined Rosie on the couch, kissing her forehead in thanks. Rosie spooned the mushroom and made an airplane sound at Addy's lips the way Maxon still did if his younger children were being obstinate about consuming their dinner.

"Better?" Rosie asked as Addy chewed.

"Way better."

"You share with me because there's a lot more over there for seconds, we won't run out." Rosie insisted.

Addy tucked her feet beneath her on the couch and leaned against her little sister, alternating bites with her until the bowl was empty.

* * *

Rosie's bedtime was significantly earlier than anyone else's, and she started out the night tucked into Luke's bed. Addy helped Luke research a paper he was writing while America used the telephone to call the Palace. Her first order of business was to update Gavril with the new information she'd learned about Martin, and about Addy's romantic entanglements while at school. Gavril seemed relieved that there was no possibility for a litany of boys to come crawling out of the woodworks with pictures of themselves kissing the Princess. Then America spoke with Maxon briefly, getting an update from him about how the Palace was handling the public relations crisis. Addy couldn't tell much just from America's side of the conversation.

Then America was transferred to the telephone in the family room, and she spoke with Jamesy, Maisy, and Lief in turn. Jamesy and Maisy briefly summarized their days for her, and Lief went into lots of detail about something, spurred on by America asking him what he'd made for his art project. America promised to see all of them tomorrow, and then she hung up.

Just when America suggested they all try to get some sleep, Rosie popped out of Luke's room, eyes squinted against the light.

"Mommy." she crawled into America's lap.

"Why are you awake?"

"I want to sleep with you and Addy."

Addy shared a smirk with Luke and said, "But Bud, what about your room?"

"Luke can have it tonight."

This simplified matters. Luke would sleep in his room, and the Schreave women would share the two beds in Addy's room.

"In that case, I'll be studying if you need me." Luke bowed out, but not in a royal way. In a Luke way. He was sometimes a 100 year old man trapped in a devastatingly handsome young body, he wore a robe over his pajamas, got grumpy if it had been too long since his last cup of tea, and bowed if he had visitors and had to leave the room.

America tucked Rosie into Addy's bed and then Addy helped her put newly-cleaned sheets on the spare bed. They worked as silently as possible, trying not to disturb Rosie. Finally, Addy whispered, "Do you want to sleep next to Rosebud?"

America sized up her daughter, then shook her head, "You sleep in your own bed, unless she starts elbowing and kicking you."

Addy nodded, then gestured to the spare bed, "It's not exactly fit for a queen. Are you going to be alright?"

America grinned and kissed Addy on the forehead. "I wasn't always a queen. I'll be just fine."

Addy wouldn't have slept at all that night if Rosie hadn't been sleeping next to her, giving her someone to match her breaths to, giving her something to think about other than that stupid magazine. Though it wasn't restful, sleeping gave her hours and hours away from her thoughts. Having that break from feeling terrible all the time was invaluable.

When Addy woke up the next morning, she felt just fine for a few seconds. Then she remembered why she was supposed to be miserable, and the weight of that magazine cover crushed her again. Her privacy had been violated _and_ she was in trouble for sneaking out. She never wanted to leave her bed, ever ever again.

But then America, today wearing casual mom clothes instead of queen clothes, hair up in a messy ponytail and face clean of makeup, opened the door to Addy's room and gestured to the kitchen table behind her. From bed, Addy could just make out a big bakery box and a drink holder.

"That's your favorite bakery, isn't it?" America asked, worried. "Nobody was sure… I had to ask Luke."

"Yeah." Addy wiped her eyes as Rosie wiggled in bed next to her, bravely staving off wakefulness.

"Come eat while it's hot. I'm not sure… I'm not sure the next time you'll get to have their food."

Addy's stomach dropped, and with it her appetite. She frowned, fighting off tears. She _would_ come back to school, she'd see all her friends again and eat at a dining hall and spend a whole afternoon at the library. She'd find some way to make her father understand. She'd eat at this bakery again, if it was the last thing she did.

Addy carried a mostly-sleeping Rosie into the kitchen and positioned her in her lap. America sat two lidded paper coffee cups in front of her daughters, a small one and a large one. Rosie was surprised to have her very own.

"Apple juice." America smiled.

Rosie sat up straighter in Addy's lap, sipping importantly from her very own cup. "Ah…" she sighed after swallowing, the same way Maxon did over his morning cup of coffee. America had to cover her face to keep from laughing.

America helped herself to a pastry and Addy split an egg bagel sandwich with a knife. As Addy took a sip from the full-sized coffee cup in front of her, America said, "Lucas told us your order. I hope it's right."

Addy savored the caramel cream creation that only distantly featured coffee as an ingredient. "It's perfect, Mom, thank you. Who went and got it?"

"Uncle Carter."

Addy winced, " _Uncle Carter's_ here?"

"What did you expect? It took your father and I together to stop your Uncle Aspen from coming here himself, and that was only after Uncle Aspen and I convinced your father he couldn't come, either. Of course Uncle Carter's here."

"Did he get to see Kile?"

"What do you think?" America met her daughter's eye grimly.

Addy frowned at her plate and took a vicious bite out of her bagel sandwich, not enjoying the guilt trip. "Somebody leaks pictures of me to the media and _I'm_ the bad guy."

America studied Rosie in Addy's lap carefully before replying, "You know better than that, Bird."

And though Addy wanted to snap viciously in her own defense, she stopped herself because she _did_ know better. And however hurt she was, and however much anger was flaring up to hide that hurt, she didn't want Rosie to be any part of it.

Rosie took another satisfied sip of her apple juice and then pinched some egg off of Addy's sandwich. For all she knew, her big sister was just being a moody teenager and their mommy was just reminding her to be normal. Rosie was having the best slumber party of her life. "I want to go here when I'm big, I want to live at this house. Can I, Mommy?"

Addy winced. She was still coming to terms with the horrific idea that she might have ruined university for herself, she hadn't even considered whether she might have ruined it for all of her brothers and sisters, too.

America bit at her lip for a moment and then said, "If Daddy says yes, and you work very hard at your lessons, then I see no reason why you shouldn't live at this house someday."

"Then I'll have my room back… Luke won't be here then, will he?" she asked, worried.

In spite of everything, Addy smiled at the idea of a thirty-something aged Lucas still living in a college dormitory. "Don't worry, Buddy, he'll be back in England by then."

Rosie nodded, glad. Then she said, "He gonna be King then?"

"No, Andy's going to be King, remember?"

"Oh. What will Luke be?"

"Good question." Behind them, Lucas' voice replied from his doorway. He was in full robe and house slippers, but something about the way his hair was tousled after just waking up made Addy want to look away. It was too intimate. "Perhaps I'll be working for Andrew as an ambassador."

"Oh." Rosie craned around to face him. "Will that be fun?"

"It depends on where he sends me to work. Where would you want to live if you could live anywhere in the whole world, Rosalynn?"

"This house." Rosie said seriously.

"Very well." he made for the kettle on the stove, but helped himself to a muffin from the bakery box on his way. "I shall tell Andrew that I'm to be his ambassador to Kings University, and he'll have me live right here in this house forever."

Rosie frowned, "No, go somewhere else."

"Rosalynn!" America chastised, even as she laughed. "Be nice to Lucas."

Rosie narrowed her eyes at him, "Tell Andy to send you to… uh… Mars."

Addy choked on her coffee, laughing. When her lungs were cleared she said, "Buddy, do you know where Mars is?"

Rosie shrugged, "It's by New Asia."

America bit down a smile, "You overheard one of Maisy's or Jamesy's science lessons, didn't you?"

Rosie sipped her apple juice importantly, "When I finish my worksheet early, I listen to them sometimes while I color in my coloring book."

"Do you know, Mars doesn't sound like a half bad option. I'll mention it to Andrew." Luke grinned.

"And not live in my house?" Rosie checked.

"Not once I've graduated school, I promise." Luke placed a hand over his heart to show his sincerity.

"You know, Rosie, I didn't want him to live here at first, either. But he's not so bad. He grows on you." Addy winked Luke's way.

"I don't need anybody at my house, I'm big and I can do everything myself." Rosie pronounced. To prove the point, she slipped off of Addy's lap and climbed into an empty chair, then pulled her plate and juice over and continued her breakfast, unassisted.

"I take it that means you'll clean up your own crumbs?" America pointed to a little bit of overflow that had fallen off of Rosie's plate.

Rosie stared at her mother like she was speaking nonsense. "Why?"

"So that you don't leave a mess when you live by yourself."

"No, I will leave a lot of mess, nobody will be annoyed." Rosie corrected.

Addy challenged her little sister, "What if bugs come in and start eating your crumbs?"

Rosie's eyes widened, "There are no bugs allowed at my house!"

"The best way to keep them out is to clean up your crumbs." America agreed with Addy.

Rosie considered her plate, sadly. Then she said, "Luke? You can live at my house if you clean up my crumbs."

America covered her eyes at the diplomatic infraction that had just occurred. A Princess of Illéa had just invited a Prince of England to be her cleaning maid. Addy laughed, all pain and sadness banished for those few short breaths.

"It would be an honor to serve you, Princess." Luke agreed.

Now that her grownup problems were solved, Rosie returned to her independent breakfast without a care in the world.

* * *

The ride back to the Palace was excruciating. It was Tuesday, Tuesdays were usually one of Addy's favorite days. She didn't have an early class, so she got to sleep as late as she liked. She had the kitchen to herself because Luke did have an early class. She could meet Martin for breakfast at a dining hall or meet Meri for coffee. The class she had on Tuesdays was in a beautiful old building that housed the mathematics department. Tuesdays were half price at Addy's favorite diner, and if she went before the dinner rush she could even study for a while in one of their booths. But now here she was, in a Palace car with her mom and sister, leaving campus for what could very well be the last time. All because some creep leaked pictures of her at a party without her guards.

Though she still sat in a booster seat in the car, Rosie did not want anyone to sit next to her. She wanted to be a big girl and keep herself occupied. So America sat next to Addy, reading proposals from various governors for institutions that could use a royal charter to help them flourish. In jeans and a colorful, soft shirt, with no makeup on, America looked younger than Addy could remember seeing her in years.

"Mom?"

"Hm?"

"When did you know you'd be a good queen?"

America froze, then looked up at Addy. "Why do you ask?"

"Just… was there something you did?"

America set aside the proposal she was reading and squeezed Addy's hand. "I think it was when I had you."

"What? Really?" Addy hadn't been expecting that.

"I was new at the job before that. I had so much to learn, coming from the caste I came from. I thought I was a living, breathing disaster and that your father would be ashamed of me forever. But the same day you were born, your dad and I successfully implemented a major change to the constitution—"

"The inheritance law, I know." Addy's parents told her the story every year on her birthday.

"It was a big accomplishment. And so were you. Having a healthy heir when we were so young, knowing that there was no reason your father and I couldn't produce more healthy heirs down the line… that was a huge weight off of our shoulders. Your Grandmother Amberly wasn't so lucky. After you were born, I realized I was capable of pushing major legislation _and_ producing healthy heirs. That's when I knew I wasn't going to be an embarrassment of a queen."

"Did Dad know he'd be a good king before that?"

America didn't answer for a minute, thinking it through. "I hope so. I think he partially believed it. I made sure I reminded him how good he was as often as possible. He… he's a very different king from his father, and for a while I think he was concerned that he wasn't as good as his father because of it. But now, with so many major accomplishments under his belt, I think he has more self-confidence."

"So nobody's going to know if I'll actually be any good as the Queen until I've already become her?" Addy frowned.

America squeezed her hand, "Nobody knows if they'll be any good at anything until they try, Bird."

"Yeah, but this is a big, permanent thing. Shouldn't you and Dad test us? Test your children to see which one is best for the country? Birth order doesn't seem like a good enough reason."

America shook her head at her daughter's doubts. "Sweetie, you made _one_ mistake. Yeah, it was a big old dumb one, but that doesn't mean you won't be a good queen."

Addy frowned at their joined hands. "You don't know."

"I know a little more about being the Queen than you do, wouldn't you say?" America teased. When Addy didn't tease back, America sighed, "Sweetheart, my entire time in your dad's Selection was mistake after mistake. I pushed him away, told him I didn't want to marry him, I yelled at him and insulted his home, I physically assaulted him—"

"No you didn't." Addy gaped at her mother.

"I promise you, he still complains about it sometimes. Says he still feels it when the weather changes, like an old war wound."

Addy giggled, "What did you do—"

"Doesn't matter." America pressed on. "The point is that I was a walking mistake when I was your age. Frankly, I'd be concerned that you were switched at birth with someone else's baby if you weren't making mistakes like this. Your dad wasn't exactly flawless at your age, either. I hadn't met him yet, but Queen Daphne has told me some stories…"

"Like what?" Addy giggled.

"Doesn't matter." America said again with a giggle. "Addy, your dad and I expect you to try your best, and to do what's right, but we don't expect perfection from you. We know you're going to get it wrong sometimes. What matters to us is that you're always trying to do the right thing, and if you're doing something that you know is wrong, that's when we'll have a problem with you."

"It's not that simple anymore, Mom, not everything is exactly right or wrong. Sometimes things are a mix."

America shrugged and nodded, "Nobody said that doing the right thing would be easy, it's usually a confusing mess of a challenge. Although, sneaking away from your guards? That one isn't exactly a moral conundrum, Bird."

Addy nodded, looking down at her lap. "If I abdicated the throne and left Illéa in exile, do you think I could be normal with Martin?"

America knew her daughter wouldn't do it, that's why she even entertained the idea. "You'd be hopelessly famous for the rest of your life, honey."

"Nobody had a problem with my fame at the party." Addy mumbled at her knees.

America swallowed, "No, but somebody took advantage of it, didn't they?"

"I guess."

America wrapped an arm around Addy and Addy snuggled in. As the car sped onward, she absentmindedly read the proposals in her mother's lap to take her mind off of her situation, and the dread she felt as they got closer and closer to her father's wrath.

When they arrived at the Palace, Aunt Kenna was waiting to take Rosie to her lessons. Addy didn't want the rib-crushing hug she got from her aunt because it meant that she'd seen the magazine. Of course Addy had known that everyone in the world had seen it by now, but there was a difference between abstract understanding and getting squeezed to death by a painfully sympathetic aunt. Sometime halfway through the hug, though, the embarrassment eased and Addy became grateful for the acceptance. Aunt Kenna knew Addy had done something wrong, and loved her anyway.

"Astra's going to be here tonight, after rehearsals." Aunt Kenna whispered in her ear.

"Okay."

"Uncle James is coming, too."

Addy winced. Her Uncle James had seen that picture of her in her underwear. Aunt Kenna read her face and hugged her again, "He's in a fighting mood. He's been threatening to beat up the publisher in increasingly creative ways since yesterday."

"He's not mad at me?"

"Has he ever been mad at you before?"

If he had, Addy couldn't think of it. Uncle James was the biggest softie in her whole family when it came to disciplining the kids. "Never."

"Why start now?" Kenna pressed a kiss to Addy's cheek.

Behind them, Rosie ran up to her Aunt in a rush, her little face deeply concerned. "I need to go potty. _Now_."

Aunt Kenna took Rosie's hand, waved to America, and then hurried inside with Rosie.

America wrapped an arm around Addy. "Ready?"

"No." Addy pouted.

"Too bad. Time to be a grownup, kiddo." America led her inside.

The staff must have received strict instructions not to pay any special attention to Addy. They curtseyed as the Queen and Princess walked by, but nobody stared and no whispers followed them. Honestly, it was a big relief. Home still felt safe in a way that it wouldn't have if everyone had been blatantly gossiping about her.

Addy felt a little like she was being led to an execution as they got closer and closer to Maxon's office. Addy toyed with her bird necklace nervously, and remembered the story of her mother using it to save a prisoner's life during her father's Selection.

"Momma, will you trade your jewelry for my life?" Addy whined.

America glanced down at the necklace she now wore, a chain with one diamond for each of the five Schreave children, then her engagement and wedding rings. "No."

" _Mom_."

America laughed, "Fine."

Call it gallows humor, but Addy had to laugh too.

A guard saw them coming, and when they were close enough, he opened the door to Maxon's office with a bow. No knocking, no asking them to wait to make sure the King wasn't on an important telephone call. That meant King Maxon knew they were coming and was waiting for them. Addy groaned pathetically.

America abandoned Addy in the doorway, sweeping around Maxon's desk and leaning down to kiss him.

Maxon did a double take when he set eyes on America, staring at her the whole time she walked through his office all the way until her lips were on his. "You look beautiful." he said.

America bit down a smile, "You're going to be retired soon, and then Addy's not going to be able to pay me enough money to get me back into makeup and dresses. This'll be the only way you'll see me for the rest of my life."

Maxon's eyes flickered to the doorway where his eldest daughter was doing her best to disappear in plain sight. He nodded his head toward the chair in front of his desk. "Sit."

Addy wilted, shoulders hunching forward, eyes glued to the floor as she obeyed.

Maxon shuffled a few items on his desk then folded his hands in front of him. "What were you thinking?"

Addy immediately felt protective of Martin. She knew dads weren't supposed to approve of their daughters dating, but Martin wasn't just anyone. "Dad, we've been dating for months now, he's a really good person. You'd like him if—"

"Stop." Maxon shook his head, "I'm not talking about _that_." he said, referencing her dating life with difficulty. "I never told you that you weren't allowed to date."

"Adrienne, look at me." America said from where she stood at Maxon's lefthand side. When Addy met her mother's eyes, America said, "Save yourself time and trouble. You know what you did wrong."

Addy returned her gaze to her lap. "Martin… he had an idea for a surprise date. Something he could offer me that nobody in the Palace ever could. Something only a normal person could give me. He's thoughtful and kind and he'd never take me anywhere dangerous, so I trusted him. We went to this top secret house party with a bunch of amazing students and alumni, and nobody cared that I was the Princess all night. I didn't have to entertain them or be diplomatic, I didn't even have to talk if I didn't want to."

"That was an incredibly poor decision." Maxon scolded her. "No matter how well-intentioned, your boyfriend has not been trained to make decisions about the future of the monarchy."

"He wasn't! It wasn't about the monarchy! It was about _me_!" Addy snapped in his defense.

"Damn it, Adrienne, you _are_ the monarchy! There is no separating the two!" Maxon snapped back.

Addy didn't like that one bit. She considered her reply carefully. "Martin doesn't treat me like the monarchy. He treats me like a girl. Like a normal person, with thoughts and feelings. He doesn't see the crown when he looks at me—"

"Then he's blind, Addy!"

"No he's not!"

"Stop." America held up a hand, calling a timeout.

Father and daughter both took deep breaths, cooling off for a second. Maxon was the first to recover his civil tone, "You _are_ a girl with thoughts and feelings. But you are also the crown. You're _both_. And if he can't see both when he looks at you, then he's not looking, Adrienne."

It was Addy's turn. She did her best. "Every move I've ever made since the day I was born has been watched by guards. Everywhere I've ever gone in my entire life, grown men trained in combat have watched me obsessively, many of whom I barely know. I've never been alone, and any freedom that comes from being alone, I've never had. And why? The whole time I've been at university, nobody has tried to hurt or kill me. What have the guards even been protecting me from? You raised me to fear everything, _everything_ that your soldiers weren't there to watch me do. Martin doesn't want me to live my whole life in fear. He shows me parts of the world I never even knew existed, simple and beautiful things. And by not fearing those things anymore, he makes me braver."

Maxon processed this for a moment, staring at his folded hands. Then he turned to look up at his wife. For a long moment, they didn't speak. Finally, Maxon gulped. "You're safer than any heir has ever been in the history of Illéa. Our monarchy is more secure now than it has ever been before. I never considered that you might not know why."

"What do you mean?" Addy didn't like the implication.

"Didn't you study the rebel attacks on the monarchy in your lessons?"

"Yeah. All of that was before I was born, Dad." Addy reminded him.

Maxon shook his head. America squeezed his shoulder, and Maxon raised his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes hard. "How do you explain time to a teenager, Ames?"

"You can't." America said.

"Hey, I understand time."

"No you don't." Maxon said simply.

"Guys, I'm not stupid." Adrienne snapped.

"It's not about intelligence, Adrienne, you haven't been alive for twenty years. You can't know what twenty years means to someone who's been alive for longer than twenty years. That's not how the human brain works." he snapped back. Then he sighed roughly and lowered his hands from his face. "Bird, I'm forty years old. Twenty years is half my life, right?"

"Yes." Addy seethed. She hated that they didn't think she already understood that.

"What's half your life, at seventeen? Eight… Eight and a half?"

"Yes." She knew that, too.

Maxon nodded. "Half my life ago, our palace was under regular assault by armed rebels who wanted me dead. When my Selection started, the attacks only got worse. It was a regular occurrence for guards to die in combat just down the hall from here, protecting the King and his advisers. You walk past it all the time, you've never seen a dead body there, I have."

"Dad—" This was ancient history.

"Half my life ago, my mother and father were murdered right in front of me. I was shot and very nearly died. So did your Uncle Aspen. The monarchy would have been doomed, the whole country would be in rebel hands now, and you never would have been born. Sweetheart, do me a favor, and imagine that all of that happened when you were eight and a half."

Addy frowned. She remembered her eighth birthday. She remembered riding horses. She remembered a few of the books she read that year. She remembered Jamesy being six, and Maisy being four. It was around the time her mom announced that they were going to have Lief, maybe just a little before that. She tried to imagine her parents being gunned down, she tried to imagine almost dying in her own home, tried to imagine guards dead in the hallways that led to her parents' offices.

"It's not like that anymore." Addy said weakly.

"No, it's not. But that doesn't mean that it was such ancient history that it couldn't happen again. We remain alert, we remain careful, because the generation of people who were so badly treated by my father's policies that some of them decided it was worth risking their lives to try to kill me… they're still alive out there. They're my age, and a little older, and if you walked through their front door to go to a party with your friends, unprotected, they might finally see their opportunity for revenge. Justice."

Addy lowered her eyes, "We don't have rebels anymore."

America spoke up when Maxon faltered, "Not an organized army of rebels, no, but that doesn't mean that nobody out there feels a connection to their cause."

"Three years later, when your mother was pregnant with you, they tried again. Twice, just before you were born, they very nearly succeeded in killing you and your mother both." Maxon rasped. "Less than half my life ago… what's the math, America?"

"It doesn't matter." America rubbed the back of his neck to soothe him. He was desperate for Addy to understand, desperate for her to see that the danger wasn't far enough gone for it to never turn right around and come back again.

"Just pretend it was when you were nine or ten." Maxon said. "I don't know if that math is exactly right, but just… it's close enough for you to get the idea. Rebels were in the room with your mother _twice_ in just the handful of weeks before you were born, and _twice_ came within seconds of killing her, and by extension you. Once with a gun, once with a bomb."

"With a _bomb_?" Addy asked incredulously.

"Can you imagine coming so close to losing your whole family? Can you imagine that it was as recently as when you were ten years old?" Maxon pressed her. "You're the safest heir in the history of the monarchy, but that doesn't mean you're safe, Addy. People have wanted you dead since before you were born."

Addy had never, never heard her father speak like this before. She supposed he'd always tried to protect her from this, like so much else. "Dad, how can you be sure that they still feel that way? A lot has changed since I was born. People… they can work whatever jobs they want now, they can send their kids to school—"

Maxon picked up the phone on his desk and hit three numbers. "Officer, bring me classified file Z."

America folded her arms across her stomach but she didn't object. They sat in silence while they waited. Finally, after what felt like eons, a military officer in full uniform entered the room and bowed. Then he approached Maxon's desk and set a thick file of papers down. He bowed deeply and waited to be dismissed.

"Officer, what are these?" Maxon asked.

"Credibly threats of violence against Princess Adrienne, your Majesty."

Addy paled. That was an enormous stack, to be comprised purely of threats.

"Why are they classified credible?" Maxon quizzed the officer.

"In tracing the threats to their origins, it was discovered that the person behind each statement of intent might have the motive, means, and/or opportunity to attempt to carry out their threat."

"Dismissed." Maxon said.

The officer stood and exited the room.

Maxon pushed the file toward Addy. "It's not that they're likely, it's that they'd be _possible_ if you weren't protected against them." Maxon reiterated for Addy's benefit.

With dread knotted up in her stomach, Addy slid forward in her seat and flipped the folder open.

The first page was a letter sent to the Palace from an unhinged person who wanted to _scalp_ Addy and wear her hair.

Addy looked up at her father wide eyed, "Is this real?"

"I wish to God it wasn't."

"Who…"

"Somebody who lives in the area or has the means to travel here. Somebody who technically could carry out this threat, if you were undefended in a room with them."

Addy turned the page, but the next one was so graphic she couldn't finish it. Maxon closed the folder for her and said, "This is why we have guards. They're the reason this will never, never happen to you. To any of us."

"Are there files like this for all of us?"

"Everyone in the royal family, including my cousins in Hondurogua." Maxon said.

Addy didn't know what to say. He'd hidden these threats from her for her entire life, but she couldn't really blame him. Jamesy wasn't that much younger than her, but she'd rather walk across a bed of hot coals than show him a file full of vile, explicit threats against him by deranged citizens of the country they dedicated their lives to serving.

"Addy, go on up to your room." America said. "Take a hot bath or something. Nothing is going to be resolved today, we're waiting to see how things look once the media storm has blown over."

Addy nodded and stood, pausing before she left the office. "Dad, I didn't do any of this to scare you or hurt you."

Maxon nodded, "I appreciate that, but the fact remains that you did scare me and you did hurt me. You hurt all of us. We trusted you, and you betrayed that trust. You've got a lot of work to do, figuring out how to earn it back again." he said, matter-of-factly.

Addy hadn't realized it was possible to feel worse than she had after seeing that magazine cover for the first time, but here she was, living proof that there was no bottom to how low a person could feel before just collapsing into a blackhole of misery. Now the magazine headline had competition with the graphic, violent threats in that file for what she saw when she closed her eyes.

Now that she was home, maybe she'd never leave again. Maybe she could just lock herself away in her room and be the anti-social, shut-in Queen of Illéa. At least she'd stand out in the history books.

Maisy found her pretty soon after Addy finished her bath, and she did not come empty-handed. She brought an entire tray of brownies and then turned the television in Addy's room to a romantic comedy movie marathon. Maisy didn't say a word about anything, she was completely silent, until one of the actors on screen wore a hideous dress and she began to make fun of it.

Addy curled up in bed with her sister and mocked movie after movie until the entire tray of brownies was empty.


	26. Chapter 25

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Fine. I just miss you."

"I miss you, too."

Addy was laying in bed, telephone pressed to her ear, having an unromantic evening date of sorts with Martin. She'd had dinner that night in her room, then Astra had arrived at the Palace and curled up in bed next to her, eavesdropping on the whole exchange, braiding and unbraiding the tendrils of Addy's hair that were in easy reach.

"It's been crazy," Martin said with a huff, and Addy could easily imagine him raking his hand through his dark hair, "There are guards at every entrance of campus expelling reporters who are trying to put together headlines for tomorrow's newspapers and gossip columns."

"That sounds horrible. Like a medieval siege or something."

"Yeah."

"Do you still have guards with you?"

"One. The campus is secure, so I'm not in any danger or anything. I guess he's just here to make extra sure I stay safe."

"That's good."

"Although, I don't know Adds… I also feel like he might be spying on me. Is that crazy?"

"Hard to say." Addy frowned, "Probably not. What, do you think he's just keeping an eye on you for the Palace?"

"Reporters have been calling nonstop— I don't know how they got the telephone number to my dorm— but he's screening all my calls now. And he hasn't exactly given me the option to give an interview, no matter how many reporters have called. He's _managing_ me. Managing access to me. That's spying, going through my calls, right?"

Addy squirmed, "Martin—"

"I mean, I wouldn't give an interview! Of course, that's not what I'm saying. I just mean, _he_ doesn't know that. He's keeping _me_ in as much as he's keeping _them_ out."

Addy looked down her body at her toes and wiggled them while she thought. From the foot of her bed, Wilberforth decided this was a challenge and licked the sole of her foot. Addy giggled, an automatic response to the tickling sensation, and then she explained to Martin that she wasn't laughing at him.

"I'm glad you're with your family." Martin said, when she'd explained about the dog.

"I don't know, _the King_ isn't exactly thrilled with me right now." Addy said grimly. She and her siblings always called their dad 'the King' when he was being stern with them, especially about their royal responsibilities.

"I just meant… I wish I could be with my family, too."

Addy frowned, leaning up onto her elbow, "Have you been able to talk to them?"

"Yeah, they're the only ones allowed to call me right now."

"Are they okay?"

"Yeah, they've got their own guard."

"It's not forever, Martin, it's just until this whole thing blows over."

"It could be forever… I mean, if you and I got engaged one day or something. Your mom's family will always have guards, right?"

"Well, yeah…" The reluctance in his voice made her stomach hurt. "It wouldn't always be like this, though. This is crisis mode, usually everything is way less intense."

There was a heavy silence. Finally Martin said, "Cory came by my dorm a few hours ago. He apologized for this whole mess, he feels responsible because it happened at his house."

"Unless he sold the pictures, it's not his fault." Addy frowned.

"Well he didn't sell them, but he's got a pretty good idea who did."

"Does he?" Addy didn't really want to know, she was surprised to discover. None of the options would make her happy. She didn't want the truth to color over the amazing experience she'd had that night, and she knew that if she found out which of the partygoers was a traitor, all her memories of that night would twist and contort and they'd never again be happy little effervescent bubbles in her mind.

"See, I'd thought maybe Safya… she had access to everyone's pockets while we were in the pool, and she usually extorts people for bribes in exchange for giving them their clothes back."

Addy pet Wilberforth's floppy triangle ear with her toes, causing his tail to give a feeble little wag. "Not Safya. She said she wouldn't charge me because it was my first party."

"Well, you're right." Martin said. Relief unclenched Addy's stomach. Safya hadn't done this to her.

"There was a reporter at the party, and he wasn't happy to see me there." Addy mused. "He's Gavril's friend though, and this whole thing has definitely made Gavril's life a misery. I didn't think he'd do this…"

"There was a reporter there?" Martin asked, surprised.

"Yeah, his name was William… No, Walter. I think." The fact that Martin hadn't heard of him meant that Cory hadn't told Martin about him, so Walter couldn't have been the guilty party.

"Huh."

"I guess he kept the secret though, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Probably cost himself a lot of fame and fortune giving up a scoop like this." Martin said miserably.

"Probably." Addy agreed woefully.

There was another silence. Martin wasn't sure how to break it to her, "Well, uh, the photographer. Jack. He left the country."

"He did _what_?"

"Headed off to the Russian Federation with more money than most photographers make in a lifetime. I guess if he's careful, he'll never have to work again. Or if he does, it'll just be icing on the cake."

Addy hated this. That boy had reminded her of her father, she'd been impressed by his camera, she'd thought his work was amazing. She felt so stupid, like she'd been a gullible mark in his grift. "This stinks."

Martin sighed into the receiver, "Yeah. I'm really sorry, Addy."

"It's not your fault."

"I'm not apologizing, I'm just sorry. You know… sorrowful. Sad."

"Oh."

"Cory, uh… he says Jack won't ever work in this country again. He didn't just betray you, he sold pictures of the secret society, so there are a lot of powerful, successful people out there who want him to pay a price. Alums of the society, you know?"

"Sounds like he's beyond their reach."

"For now. I don't know, the Russian Federation is pretty cold in the winters. Maybe he'll think he can get away with coming back and doing something small, somewhere far from Angeles. But if he does, they'll find him."

"They won't hurt him, right?"

"Not physically. He broke the code, they'll find some way to punish him. I suggested they take all his money from him and transfer it into a fund for victims of sexual assault."

"Wow, really? That's amazing Martin, what made you think of that?"

"This guy got rich selling pictures of you in your underwear without your permission. That's gotta be some kind of assault, Addy."

Addy's cheeks flushed hot, "No. He didn't beat me or attack me or something."

"It's like, if the whole world was in one stadium, and he dragged you center stage and then ripped your clothes off without your permission."

"I…" Addy was at a loss for words. Sure, she felt violated, but she didn't feel like a _victim_. "It wasn't him kissing me against my will, he violated my privacy, not my body. It's different."

"I guess." Martin didn't seem fully convinced.

"I still like your idea, though."

"Yeah, well," Martin grumbled, "He's probably gonna be in the Russian Federation forever, so it probably doesn't matter."

"Maybe, maybe not." Addy forced a hopeful tone, "But if you were, say, Prince Consort, you could find other ways to fundraise for that cause. It could be your version of my mom's libraries."

"Yeah… I guess so."

"It's not all bad, Martin. Being royal means you have to have a few guards around, but it also means you have the power to do incredible things."

There was a knock on Addy's door, and then it swung open to reveal Aunt May, desperate to check on Addy.

"Hey, I gotta go." Addy said into the telephone. "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"You still get to go to class, right?"

"As long as the campus is still secure."

"Good. I'll talk to you after your physics class, then."

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Addy had wanted to say 'I love you', but she wasn't sure this was the right time to announce her love to her extended family.

Astra was out of bed now, on her way over to hug Aunt May.

"Hey noodle," Aunt May greeted her, "Doing okay?"

"Yep."

"Good."

Wilberforth gave an expectant tilt of his head. Surely she wasn't going to make him get all the way off Addy's bed just to say hello? Aunt May giggled and hurried over, using both hands to scratch him behind the ears. "Hello, stately gentleman." She kissed him on the head. Then she turned to Addy, who was now sitting up in bed. "I came as soon as I heard. Can you believe your Uncle Ryland _didn't tell me_ why he went up to the school to get you today?"

"Yikes. Is he okay?" Astra asked.

"He's at peace now." Aunt May said with a shrug.

Astra laughed, "Aunt May!"

"I mean it, he's in a better place."

"You did _not_ murder him." Astra complained.

"Fine." May rolled her eyes, "He's still at work. But believe me, he's going to hear about it when I finally see him."

"So how did you find out?" Addy asked nervously.

"Grandma."

"No…" Addy groaned, collapsing back against her pillow in a dramatic fall, "Grandma saw me kissing a boy in my underwear?"

"She thinks he's cute." Aunt May wiggled her eyebrows.

Addy peeked over at her, "Really?"

"Yeah, she likes him."

"Wow. She doesn't care that we were kissing?"

"Nope."

Weirdly, this made Addy feel better. Her Grandma wasn't disappointed in her.

There was another knock at Addy's door, and then it creaked open. America stood there, ready to check on her daughter again. She was doing the same thing she did anytime any of her kids were sick; every break she got between meetings, she'd hurry upstairs to check on them and give them kisses, and then hurry back to her next appointment. Addy wasn't sick, but the attention didn't hurt.

This time, America stopped with her mouth wide open, about to greet Addy. She shifted her focus, mid-step, to May. "May, what are you doing here?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" May demanded, "Am I not supposed to know something about my niece, is that what that's supposed to mean? Is there some big conspiracy to keep things from me because you don't think I can handle it anymore, is that what that's supposed to mean?"

America narrowed her eyes at May, "That's not what I mean. _You know_ what I mean."

May scowled at America, then jumped back onto Addy's bed with a plop, her legs stiff in front of her. She leant back on her elbows and then tilted a challenging eyebrow at America, "Is that better?"

America rubbed her face with both hands. "You're going to be the actual death of me, May, all my children will be orphans and it'll be all your fault."

"They'll still have Maxon," May rolled her eyes.

"Um…" Astra lifted a finger into the air to ask for a moment of their attention, "What the heck is happening?"

America shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms in front of her as she did, but May turned to look at her nieces. "I'm supposed to be on _bedrest_ this week, which is probably why everyone but Mom decided not to tell me what you were going through, Birdy."

Addy sat up, tucking her feet beneath her so she could look down on her lounging aunt, "Bedrest? That sounds serious, what's wrong?"

"It's my heart condition." May admitted.

"Oh God." Addy frowned, disbelieving.

"But your medicine… you've been so careful!" Astra argued, tears filling her eyes as she sank down next to Aunt May.

"Hey, I'm still being careful. See? I'm in bed." May squeezed Astra's hand.

"Why is it worse? What happened? Did the medicine stop working?" Astra asked, and Addy was grateful. Her heart was pounding so fast in her own chest, she didn't think she could manage to speak.

"The medicine is working fine. It's no big deal." May promised. "I'm safe and healthy, this is just a precaution."

"Why?" Astra asked, lip wobbling.

"It's an experiment, to see if my blood pressure is better after a week off my feet."

Addy's mind raced, "That makes no sense. If your blood pressure is high, you're supposed to exercise and eat healthily—"

"Trust me, Birdy, I've done all of that. This isn't high blood pressure for the normal reasons." May reassured her.

Tears were now falling down Astra's cheeks, "Then it's because your heart is getting weaker!"

May met America's eyes with a wide, concerned look, and then said, "No, sweetie, no! My heart isn't getting weaker, it's just… it's just working harder."

"Why?" Astra sniffled, sounding tiny and scared.

May ran a hand through Astra's long curls, "Because I'm pregnant."

Addy and Astra froze, hearts leaping into their throats. It took them a second to retroactively apply this news to their previous conversation.

"Your Uncle Ry and I aren't telling anyone yet… well, I told your moms," she said to Addy and Astra, "But no one else knows yet. Eh… maybe your dads."

America nodded.

"See? Good news like this travels fast in a family like ours, but this is a high risk situation because of my heart condition. I don't want to get everyone excited, only to have something go wrong. The doctors are keeping a close eye on me and the baby, though, and so far everything is okay. Right now we're playing with some bedrest to see if it gets my blood pressure down a little, which would be ideal for the baby, but not a death sentence for either of us if it doesn't work. See? We're just trying some stuff out. It's no big deal."

Addy sniffed, wiping her eyes, "Aunt May, that's… that's _fantastic._ Congratulations."

"Thanks, Bird." Aunt May smiled.

"Grandma doesn't know?"

"Not yet." Aunt May confessed. "She'll probably be the next to know, and then your Uncle Gerad. In a few weeks, once we cross a few more milestones."

Astra said, "If everything goes right, when will you tell the public?"

"Uh… Well, Ry and I talked it over, and we're not going to."

Addy tilted her head to the side, "How is that possible?"

"We'll take some time off of public appearances and just spend it together instead. Privately. There will be rumors, but there are _always_ baby rumors about us. It'll all be speculation until we release a birth announcement."

Addy smiled at the sweetness of it, "That sounds amazing. I wish I could do that someday. This baby is _yours_ until you're ready to share it. This whole pregnancy is yours. Mine are never going to be that way."

America crossed over at those words, sitting on the bed behind Addy and gently squeezing her shoulders, "You'll be surprised how much you can keep, when it really matters. With you, we only showed people what we wanted them to see, what it helped us to let them see. We didn't have to give them a single thing that was too personal, too private. Honey, it's not always going to be like this." Addy heard her own words to Martin echoed back to her, but she found them harder to believe now that she wasn't being brave for him.

Addy stared at her lap, frowning.

May patted her knee, and Addy knew that meant to lay down. She placed her head on Aunt May's thigh and let the redheads all around her console her. Aunt May rubbed her head, America squeezed one of her hands, and Astra brushed a thumb against her elbow repetitively. "Tell me all about it." Aunt May encouraged. "How did that picture ever even happen?"

America had to go back to work before Addy had gotten very far in the story, but she knew it all by now anyway. Wilberforth jumped off the bed and followed her out, but Addy supposed he didn't really need to hear this. Astra and Aunt May were excellent listeners, gasping and awing at all the right parts. Addy ended the story with the information she'd just learned on the telephone with Martin, about the photographer's betrayal.

Aunt May smiled down at her, "Do you love him?"

"Yes." Addy said immediately.

"What's he like?" Astra asked. "You've been talking about him for months now, but I haven't learned much about him."

"He wants to be a diplomat. He's learning all these languages and he's learning about foreign policy and stuff. He's really smart, and he got himself invited to that amazing secret society because everyone can tell he's going to be important someday. His family sounds so nice… and I've been thinking about it and, okay his mom is a business woman and his dad stays at home. It's kind of the opposite of what a lot of people expect. And I don't know but I just think, maybe, it means he wouldn't have much of a problem with me outranking him if we got married. You know because, he'd never be as powerful as his wife, and he'd have to spend a lot of time taking care of our heir and stuff, but he grew up with a strong, powerful mom who worked and a dad who stayed home and cooked and cleaned and made candles. I don't know… I just think it's a good sign."

Astra grinned at the way Addy had gone on and on about her boy. "It must be serious if you're making 'heir' plans."

"Not any time soon!" Addy hurried to explain, "I need to be crowned and get my feet under me as queen first. It'll be years before I'm ready to try reigning with morning sickness."

"Ugh." May winced her agreement.

"But someday, yeah, I need to have a baby if I can. If I can't, Jamesy, Maisy, Lief, and Rosie can help me out, but I should really try. And honestly, Martin would make a good dad. He's silly and kind, and he always tries to see things from other perspectives."

"Plus your kids would be _gorgeous_." May giggled.

"Only if they took after him." Addy smiled so hard, her cheeks hurt.

"Speaking of gorgeous boys, how's Kile?" Aunt May asked Astra.

Astra flopped down next to Aunt May and smiled, "He's good. Busy getting ready for final exams. I wasn't going to visit him this week anyway, so Addy's crisis couldn't have come at a better time for me."

"Glad I was convenient." Addy rolled her eyes.

Astra poked her tummy and Addy giggled ticklishly.

"Have you and Kile started talking about… _after_ university? I know that really put a wrench in things for you last time." Aunt May pressed.

"Uh, a little. He'll have internships next year, and those will give him a good idea of where to find work once he graduates. My contract is up in August, and I'll decide whether to sign on for another year or go audition for another company."

"Or retire from dancing and become my lady-in-waiting." Addy pretended.

"Not this year."

"Next year?" Addy fluttered her lashes imploringly, but she was just kidding. Astra was going to have a long career before retiring to spend the rest of their lives as best Palace friends.

"We have to run our lady-in-waiting plan by Kile, you know, maybe he doesn't want to live in the Palace forever." Astra pointed out.

"Tough cookies, we're raising our babies together just like we were raised and Kile can take it or leave it." Addy crossed her arms.

"Hey," Astra giggled, "I'd really rather he didn't leave it. He's pretty cute and fun to kiss,"

"Ew!" Addy complained.

"Maybe we can find a way to work with him."

Addy sighed, "Whatever, just see if you can sell him on working in Angeles. Or some place close enough to commute to. I don't want you to move far away again, I hated when you were living in Waverley."

"Did you? Or did you just wish you could live in Waverley with me?" Astra challenged.

Addy shrugged, "Same thing. I don't like being apart from you for too long."

"Yeah. We're mermaid twins and if we spend too much time apart, our souls get lonely." Astra agreed. It was the line they used to use on their parents to convince them that it was time for another sleepover.

The girls fell silent, brooding over their uncertain futures with the boys they loved. Life had been so much easier when they'd been able to get exactly what they wanted out of the world by being adorable and asking politely.

Aunt May filled the silence as soon as she noticed it. "I think we need a mermaid spa sleepover. What do you say, Addy, should we ask Bridget to bring us a bunch of facial masks and lotions and nail polishes?"

"Are you spending the night?"

"I'm not leaving your side until this chaos subsides! Believe me, I've been through a million tabloid 'scandals', I know what this feels like. It won't last forever."

Addy squirmed, "But Aunt May, yours were always just gossip. They weren't ever real."

"They were in the early days." May objected. "All the way up until I married your Uncle Ryland, there were tabloid pictures of me on every date, on every vacation, on every trip to the supermarket. And I wasn't always a perfect angel, I told you about some of the guys I used to date, didn't I?"

"Oh, you mean your assassination attempts on Mom's life?" Addy joked.

"Those are only the ones she found out about." May winked. "Addy, listen, they just want to tell a story. For your whole life, you've given them one single character. Adorable, precocious heir to the throne. Now you're growing up, and they get to tell a new story."

"Slutty party girl." Addy whined.

May made a 'tsk' sound with her tongue and squeezed Addy's knee, "I _hate_ that word. What value is there in judging someone else's romantic behavior, as long as they're not hurting anybody with their actions?"

"I just meant that's the story they're telling—"

"I know what you meant. You went to a party, that doesn't make you deviant. You kissed your long-term boyfriend whom you love, that doesn't make you indecent. When Gavril starts telling that version of the story, people are going to see that kiss in a whole different light. The story will change again, and this time it'll be a magical, whirlwind romance. The kind of thing blockbuster movies are made of. The tabloids will make a fortune telling that story, and they'll abandon this old narrative. Trust me, okay?"

Addy didn't want to be naive or overly-idealistic, but she trusted her aunt in spite of it. Ever since Addy's mom had married Addy's dad, Aunt May had been a media darling. Nobody knew more about this kind of spotlight than she did, and if she said Addy was going to be okay, then Addy would just have to close her eyes, hold on tight, and wait for this ride to be over.

* * *

The next morning, no newspapers arrived with Addy's breakfast tray like there ordinarily would have been. Addy knew better than to ask. No papers meant bad news. Aunt May woke up nauseated by the smell of the food, and hurried off to jump into America's bed and continue sleeping in peace. Astra was already off to the ballroom to do some stretches and exercises, and to sharpen up some choreography. Apparently Addy's cousin liked to wake up before the sun these days, and it left Addy wondering if maybe Astra was adopted.

Lief walked in while Addy finished her eggs, slowly buttoning up his little green shirt as he got ready for lessons. "Um, Addy?"

"How are you doing, Lief?"

"Good. I just..." he paused, looking down at his buttons to see if he'd gotten them all lined up the right way. He had. He returned his attention to his big sister. "Addy, is it mean to ask you a question?"

"It's only mean to ask questions if you're trying to hurt someone with them."

"I'm not."

"Then it's not mean at all," Addy smiled, "What do you want to know?"

"Addy, are you in real big trouble?"

Addy bit back a smile at the adorable, innocent way he'd asked. "Want some bacon?"

"Yes please." He joined her on the bed and she handed him a slice.

"Yeah, I'm in pretty big trouble." she said.

"I knew it. Rosie said it sounded like you were in big trouble with Mommy and Daddy, plus I kinda heard them talking during family time yesterday. Why weren't you there?"

"I was with Astra and Aunt May, I just didn't feel good enough to play. I needed quiet time."

"Well, did you do something real bad? Are you punished?"

Addy sighed, "Yeah, I guess I'm grounded. See how I'm home?"

"Oh. _Woah_." he'd never seen Addy grounded before.

"I know."

"What did you do?" he scratched the side of his nose in wonder.

"I snuck away from Weaver. I went far away with no guards."

Lief looked at her like she was an idiot, "Why?"

Addy giggled at his honesty, "It was fun, I guess."

"That doesn't sound fun. Unless... did you go on a rollercoaster?" he asked, eyes widening.

"Ugh, I wish I had! Maybe if I'd snuck away one more time, I could have made it on a rollercoaster."

Lief nodded in solidarity. Addy knew her baby brother had never gotten to ride a rollercoaster before, and she didn't want to rub it in that she'd once gotten to ride one beside Uncle Aspen, a few years before Lief had been born. "Well, I'm not mad, okay?" he said bracingly.

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry you're grounded, but I'm happy you're home."

"It's nice to get to share bacon with you." Addy agreed.

Lief stood, knowing he needed to hurry off to lessons. "Come to family time tonight, okay? We'll play a real fun game, whichever one you want."

Addy smiled and nodded, "Alright, then. I'll be there."

Lief grinned at this and waved on his way out the door.

Addy stared into the swirls of her little glass of orange juice. She wanted to lay back down in bed, pull the blankets over her head, and hibernate until the world liked her again. Unfortunately for her, just as she was getting ready to set her tray aside and disappear into her pillows, Bridget appeared in the doorway.

"Your mother sent me."

Addy groaned in complaint.

"She wants you dressed for the office."

"I can't go to work today." Addy pouted.

"Why not?"

"I'm… sick." Addy faked a little cough. "I'm pretty sure I have a fever, too. I have to stay in bed today."

Bridget lifted one eyebrow unamused. "She doesn't want you to take this lying down. She wants you up and fighting for your reputation. Frankly, Princess, she's right."

Addy narrowed her eyes at her maid, "I have an important nap to take. I can't wear office clothes right now. Maybe later."

Bridget sighed and shifted all of her weight onto one foot. "I'm going to start a hot bath for you, and then I'm going to get you a coffee. You may stay in bed until the bath is full, but you'd better be cleaning yourself up by the time I get back with your caffeine. Or else."

"You can't threaten me, that's a crime." Addy complained pitifully.

" _Or else_." Bridget repeated.

"Or else what?" Addy asked in a tiny voice, peeking across her bed at Bridget.

"Don't ask that of the woman who shapes your eyebrows." Bridget warned on her way into the bathroom.

Addy let out an 'eek' of fear and threw the covers over her head as she dove back in. There she stayed until the echo of hot bathwater began to sound deep enough to cover her just as cozily as these blankets did. Maybe her mom had a point, maybe Addy needed to keep busy today. Either way, it wasn't worth annoying Bridget and risking mismatched eyebrows for a month.

It turned out that America had a plan for Addy. Bridget managed to drag Addy through getting ready, then deliver her to the door to the Women's Room. Inside, Addy heard three female voices, and when she poked her head in the door, she found her mother raiding a tea tray on the coffee table in between two plush sofas, mid-conversation with Lady Kriss Barner and Lady Elise Whisks-Lemex.

Addy's mother's friends stood when they noticed Addy in the doorway, and America turned. "There you are, sleepy-head. Come sit down. Are you thirsty?"

Addy shook her head as she obeyed her mother, joining her on the sofa facing the other women. "Bridget took care of me."

"Good." America leaned back against the sofa, settling in with a cup of tea. "We're talking about public schedules for the next few weeks."

"Public schedules?" Addy asked, confused. Lady Elise was one of her dad's top advisers, and Lady Kriss had worked with her mother on libraries and public schools, so they'd had a public schedule from the Palace before, but usually concerning very different policy agendas.

"We're looking through our invitations and seeing what might be useful." America nodded.

"I don't understand. Are there more protests about integrating upper and lower-class students? Or is it about the troops we sent to New Asia…"

America sipped her tea, realizing the source of Addy's confusion, "Ah, Bird. Before Lady Kriss and Lady Elise were policy experts, they were part of your father's Selection. Anybody my age or older thinks of them in that context first, because it's how they originally became famous."

"Oh. People still care about that?"

"People still adore the women from your dad's Selection, and they'll probably develop a lifelong affection for the men who compete in yours, too."

It was jarring to think of Martin taking meetings with men from her future selection, maybe forming friendships with them, maybe planning schedules just like this someday. Would any of them become her advisers, like Lady Elise had? Would they become Addy's heir's chief-of-staff like Aunt Marlee had?

Elise was flipping through a binder of invitations, eyes narrowed as she read silently. "Hm. There's a huge asian market opening up in Waverley, they invited me to cut the ribbon. I could go to that… it's my job to promote cultural exchange between Illéa and New Asia."

Kriss swished her own tea with a little spoon, "What kind of press coverage will it have?"

"Local television, regional newspapers… probably some crossover into New Asian media."

"I don't know, local television…" Kriss sounded skeptical. "They'll want to interview you. If they start asking about Princess Addy…"

Addy blushed. So this was why they were making a public schedule for the women from her dad's Selection. They were trying to fix the massive public relations nightmare Addy had caused.

Elise didn't look concerned, "Well, Gavril will have a statement ready by the end of the day, right?"

"Right." America said. "It'll be out in time for tomorrow's morning news."

"I can just echo whatever he comes up with. It'll amplify the Palace's message."

"It also might amplify the scandal." Kriss warned.

America shook her head, "The scandal couldn't get any more amplified, Kriss, what're they going to do? Publish it on Venus?"

Addy squirmed uncomfortably next to her mother, and America squeezed her elbow reassuringly. "Elise, if you're sure you can keep the questions under control, I think that market opening is a great idea."

Elise nodded, making a few notes in her binder as she did.

The room fell silent as the women continued flipping through their binders.

"Honey," America said to Addy, "I was talking to Gavril this morning and we agree, once the Palace puts out their statement and the press has had time to disseminate it, we want to schedule some appearances for you. We can't make it look like you're hiding because it would undermine our position, that you've done nothing wrong."

"Maybe I could go back to school, then?" Addy asked hopefully.

America looked up from her binder to meet Addy's eyes, frowning in sympathy. "That's going to be up to your dad, in the end. He's got to know that you'll be safe while you're away from the Palace."

"I'll do whatever it takes, Mom, I swear—"

America nodded, "I know, Bird, I believe you. I bet you'll be able to convince him, and we'll all lean on him a little. Won't we, ladies?"

Kriss winked at Addy and Elise nodded sincerely.

"You'll tell him to let me go back? And he'll listen?" Addy asked, amazed at their combined powers.

America continued, "Well, not exactly. Your dad does _not_ like to be controlled, he's not going to react well if we boss or bully him into this. He's got to be persuaded. _You've_ got to persuade him, just like all of his advisers do when they're promoting policy to him. You can do it, honey, and we're here to back you up."

Addy nodded her understanding, an unbidden glimmer of hope sparking in her chest. She'd learned how to write policy proposals at school. Maybe she could use that knowledge to convince her dad to let her finish school?

America continued, "We'd like you to appear on _The Report_ with us this Friday. There's no reason for you not to be there, since the people know you're at home this week."

"Do I have to talk about the pictures?" Addy asked, stifling the feeling of panic in her chest at the thought.

"Of course not. You'll sit with your brothers and sisters and update the people on what you've been learning at school. That's all."

"…Okay." Honestly, Addy would rather eat poison, but she knew she wasn't going to be given that option.

"Good." America made a note in the margins of her binder, then said, "It wouldn't hurt for you to dig some things out of your closet to auction for charity. Aunt Silvia can have my office send everything out to your pet shelters this weekend, along with a nice little public statement advertising the auctions."

"Won't it seem like I'm just trying to change the subject from… from that _kiss_?" Addy struggled with the words, with how to talk about her love life and the invasion of her privacy around her mother and her mother's friends.

"Maybe some people will see it that way, sure, but our story is that the kiss isn't a scandal. So there's nothing to change the subject from, because nothing bad happened, right? And if that's true, then donating your personal items for a charity auction is just you being your usual wonderful self. The version of you that the people have always known and loved."

Addy nodded, resigned to her mother's logic. "I'll find some stuff."

"Good."

Kriss pressed her finger on a page to hold her spot, "I just remembered, George was invited to give a speech at a conference in Paloma. I usually go with him for that kind of thing."

Elise tilted her head to the side, "If you go now, it'll turn into a media circus."

Kriss nodded, "We'll make them sit through a long, painfully boring lecture about education policy, and then when they finally get the chance to ask me about the pictures, I can make them feel as stupid and lecherous as possible for salivating over photographs of a young woman kissing her boyfriend. And beyond that, I won't answer any more questions on the topic."

America smirked, "Why Kriss, that's positively evil."

"It's more than they deserve," Kriss scowled.

"George's lectures aren't boring." Elise objected.

"I'll make a special request." Kriss giggled into her tea.

"You know what, Kriss?" America folded her hands in her lap, smiling proudly at her friend, "Celeste would be proud of you."

The women around Addy all shared a warm smile and after a protracted moment of silence Elise snorted, "Can you imagine the absolute _filleting_ Celeste would be giving those male magazine editors right now?"

"She'd be drinking their tears from a hip flask." Kriss agreed with a cackle.

Addy didn't know what to say. She knew who Celeste was, her mom talked about her every once in a while and Addy had watched the video recordings of her dad's Selection. Celeste had been a tall, gorgeous girl gunned down in the prime of her life by the rebel attack that had killed Addy's grandparents and almost killed her dad.

Thinking about it in this context, remembering what her dad had said about how recent that attack still felt to him, Addy felt stupid for not being more wary of rebel violence. Clearly she'd lost an important ally to the rebels, but Addy had just never realized it because it had happened before she'd been born.

"What do you think she would have said?" Addy asked quietly. She felt awkward interrupting the moment of reflection they were sharing, but she desperately wanted to hear what she was missing out on.

America swallowed heavily, sniffling a little as she tried to find an answer.

It was Kriss who figured it out first. "That's the trouble, Princess. None of us were ever as sharp-witted or sharp-clawed as Celeste. Any time we guess at what she would have said if she were here, it comes out a weak, timid mockery of what she'd actually have come up with, and we know it. There's just nothing we can do about it."

"It's hard to keep her memory alive, but know that we're not keeping it as vibrant or vivacious as she really was because we're just not cunning enough." Elise agreed.

America was still sitting quietly.

Addy wasn't sure how to reassure them. She thought of the girls she'd seen on television, the younger versions of the women who sat before her today; quiet, stoic Elise Whisks and witty, earnest Kriss Ambers, and fiery, willful America Singer.

"I think you all became the best possible versions of who you used to be when you were friends with her," Addy finally said, "So I think she'd be proud of you, even if you're not as snarky as she was."

This time, it was Elise and Kriss who fell silent as they struggled to hold back their emotions, and it was America who wrapped an arm around her daughter and squeezed. "Thank you, Birdy." She pressed a kiss to the top of Addy's head. "That was incredibly sweet of you."

There was a heavy, bittersweet moment of silence as the women collected themselves again, then Elise finally said, "She really is Maxon's kid."

"Yeah, I guess we can call off the paternity test we petitioned for." Kriss joked.

America rolled her eyes, using her free hand to crumple her napkin into a ball and then launching it at Kriss' head, meeting her mark to the sound of a whisper of soft paper hitting a nose, and several restrained giggles.

* * *

That afternoon, Addy took a break from assisting her mom to curl up in bed. This time she wasn't trying to hide from the world, though. This time, she was just sharing a quiet conversation with her boyfriend.

"Hello?" his voice answered from the other end of the telephone line.

"Hey, it's me." Addy grinned.

"How are you doing?" he asked worriedly.

"I think I'm doing okay." Addy wasn't really sure how to answer. "I mean, I'm miserable about this, but I'm still functioning. My mom even gave me some good advice for how to convince my dad to let me come back to school. What about you? Are you okay?"

"I guess so. Things are weirdly normal around here." Addy listened to him inhale and exhale slowly. Then he said, "Everyone's staring at me. It's like one of those nightmares where you show up to the first day of classes in your underwear, with no pencils, and no matter what happens, you can't get back to your dormitory to put on your pants. You get lost on the way, or somebody distracts you, or you end up on a bus to the German Federation by accident."

Addy giggled, "What kind of dreams have you been having, Martin?"

Martin laughed too, but wearily. "I don't know, Addy. Nothing as wild as real life, I'll tell you that much. My face is on the cover of every newspaper and magazine in the entire world."

"What a coincidence, mine too." Addy feigned.

Martin snorted, "Fancy seeing you here." As if the front of every newspaper on earth was a place and they'd just bumped into one another.

"Martin," Addy started, apology in her tone.

"Don't." Martin said. "This isn't your fault."

"I know. I just… I don't want you to be miserable. Is there anything I can do to help you get through this? The Palace has a whole media strategy about us, but it's going to take a while to change a current this strong."

Martin took his time answering. "My parents are going stir-crazy. The Palace sent guards to them, too. Mom can't go into the office right now, Dad's being inundated with candle orders from journalists trying to make nice with him for an interview… their whole lives are upside down right now."

Addy gulped, "I'm so sorry."

"Is there anything the Palace can do to give them their lives back?"

Addy winced, "I can talk to my Uncle Aspen about it, I'm sure it's temporary."

"Mom will be able to go back to work?"

"Sure! I mean, my Uncle James works at an office. The Palace just had to do a security check on his coworkers, and once it was clear that he was safe there, he got to work like normal. I'll bet that's all that needs to happen before your mom gets her life back."

"Oh… that's good." Martin sounded cautiously relieved. "Uh… your Uncle James, does he still have a guard?"

Addy thought about it. "His house is secured by the guards, but he doesn't have a personal detail. Like, if he leaves the house, he's on his own."

"Wait, so the guards who moved into my room at home… they might stay _forever_?" Martin asked, panicked.

"Well, the guards secure the homes of everyone in the royal family."

"Oh." Martin sounded relived. Then, after a second, it hit him. "Oh." This time he was much more crestfallen, "If we… In the future, if you and I—"

Addy helped him, "If you and I get married, your family will be part of the royal family. Most people like that kind of thing."

"It would change their whole lives."

Addy frowned. She thought about her grandma and aunts and uncles. Their lives had been totally changed by her mom marrying her dad, but it had only been good changes. Hadn't it?

"Being royal's not so bad, Martin." Addy reminded him. "Your mom could still work, and your dad could sell his candles all over the world—"

"He doesn't want that. He likes selling handmade goods to his own community." Martin sulked.

"Well… he could do that, then. He could do whatever he wanted. Your whole family could do anything in the world."

Martin reluctantly agreed, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Being a member of the royal family gives you more choices, not less. It's just hard right now because of this… _scandal_." Addy hated that word. It made it sound like she'd started a drug cartel or taken a concubine.

Martin chuckled on the other end of the line, "I'll tell you this much, I never thought I'd be a royal scandal."

"I didn't think I would, either." Addy bemoaned. "I thought Lief, for sure."

"Lief?" Martin laughed at the idea of her angel-faced baby brother doing anything scandalous.

"He was a biter five years ago! I thought he'd get angry one day and bite a citizen or something."

Martin held the phone away from himself as he laughed, hard. It was a great sound. It gave Addy more hope than anything else had all day.

"Hey, do any of your Palace guards know physics?" Martin asked brightly.

"Probably." Addy reasoned. There were over a thousand guards assigned to the Palace, split between shifts and sectors.

"Could you send me one of the smart ones to help me with my homework? I was going to go to peer-to-peer tutoring this week, but…" he didn't need to finish that sentence. Addy knew, there was no going in public right now, not for either of them.

"Oh, Kile could help you! Kile's a weirdo, he loves physics. I'll call him and ask him to meet you wherever you want."

"That would be a big help." The tension was gone from Martin's voice, and this conversation was practically normal. Addy smiled so hard, her cheeks hurt.

"Hey, there's something I forgot to tell you last night." she said.

"What is it?"

"I love you."

There was a pause, Addy could almost hear Martin's grin. "I love you too, Addy."

Kile didn't answer the phone when Addy called, but it was around dinner time so she figured he was probably eating with a study group or something, getting ready for final exams. She left a message asking him to help Martin study, and then she headed off to the dining room to join all the members of her family who'd been slowly gathering at the Palace throughout the day like some kind of homing beacon had been set off.

* * *

It was a lively, vibrant, _noisy_ Singer family reunion in the dining room. Considering that everyone was gathered together to help her recover from an incredibly embarrassing breach of privacy, Addy was actually having a good time. Grandma Magda was sitting with Aunt Kenna, carrying on an energetic conversation, lots of hand waving and gesturing to emphasize important details. Uncle James was next to Lief, making silly faces, using the utensils as props. Leo and Rogan were with Jamesy and Maisy, clearly reenacting a movie they'd all seen and loved. Something with explosions, because Rogan's mashed potatoes splattered magnificently during the recap of one particular scene. Aunt May and Uncle Ryland were next to America and Maxon, leaning in close so that they could actually hear one another over the den of noise. Uncle Gerad had the rapt attention of Rosie, and he doted on her with attention, which she lived for, and unlimited refills of juice on demand, never once suggesting that she'd had enough sugar and should switch to water.

As for Astra, she sat with Addy and distracted her with stories from the ballet, gossip and behind-the-scenes details that only the dancers knew. It was nice to escape her own troubles for a few minutes and get absorbed into the details of somebody else's problems.

After the noisy, chaotic meal was finished, but before convening for family time upstairs, America and Maxon took advantage of the quiet evening and went for a walk through the gardens as a mini-date. Grandma took over shepherding the littlest Schreaves upstairs and keeping them out of trouble. Addy was about to go with Astra upstairs and relax in one of their rooms until family time, but Uncle Gerad tapped her on the shoulder and invited her for a walk through the Palace. Uncle James clapped Uncle Gerad on the back once before leading a questioning Astra off to the third floor with the rest of their family.

Uncle Gerad was a quiet, easygoing, thoughtful man. He didn't talk much, especially when his sisters or brothers-in-law were having a conversation, but he was a great listener and when he did speak, it was usually as a much-needed voice of reason. He'd finished school to become a medical researcher just a few years ago; it had taken him a long time at a research college to learn everything that he needed to know to begin studying the heart defect that had killed his father and now plagued his sisters. He wanted to cure it, or discover a medicine even better than what America, Kenna, and May had been taking to manage their condition. Either way, it started with understanding every little thing about the defect. Addy knew her whole family was proud of him. He was the baby of the family, and he'd made something amazing out of himself all on his own, without needing to rely on the royal family for help.

Before Addy knew it, they were standing at the edge of the indoor pool. Uncle Gerad kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, sitting at the edge and sinking his feet into the warm blue pool water. He patted the concrete beside him. Addy obliged, sliding off her heels, shifting her dress up to her knees, and soaking her feet and calves.

"How are you doing, Bird?" Uncle Gerad asked softly. He didn't ask it in a pitying way though, the way people might ask if they knew some tragedy had befallen her. He was genuinely just asking because he knew he couldn't imagine what she was going through.

"I guess I'm okay, all things considered." Addy answered, rewarding his genuine question with a genuine answer. "I'm humiliated about the pictures, and I don't know how this is going to affect my relationship with the public in the longterm. I was a little kid to them just a few years ago and now they definitely see me as a young adult, whether they were ready to or not."

Uncle Gerad opened his mouth to ask a question, but he gave up, at a loss for words. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "That party that you went to…" he began.

"I'm sorry." Addy hurried, her gut instinct to apologize to anyone who was mad at her for sneaking out to the party overrode the context of who she was talking to. This was Uncle Gerad. There was no need to be on the defensive here.

Uncle Gerad waved a hand as if to dismiss the apology. She hadn't wronged him. "Where was it?"

"At a house near campus."

"It looked pretty nice in those pictures."

"Oh, uh… yeah. It was gorgeous, actually. It was a really fancy neighborhood."

Gerad smirked, looking down at his feet distorted in the water, "Says the girl who grew up in a royal palace."

Addy nodded, forcing a little laugh of agreement. None of it made sense if it was coming from Princess Adrienne. It only made sense if it was coming from Addy, the teenaged girl.

Uncle Gerad tapped his foot against hers in the water, "Why did you go to that party, Bird? Why did you sneak out?"

Addy thought of so many answers to that question, all of them true and adequate but none of them conveyed the real depth of feeling behind her decision. Addy could tell him what she'd told her mother or Astra or her father. She could make a long, wordy case for her judgement.

But this was Uncle Gerad, so she just said, "Because I didn't want to miss it."

She knew that was enough. The time in her life when she could sneak away from home and go to a party with civilians, and end up swimming in a pool, kissing her boyfriend, was a rapidly shrinking window. If she hadn't done it when Martin had offered, she'd never have done it at all. In spite of everything, she was glad she hadn't missed her only chance.

Uncle Gerad seemed to wilt beside her, his broad, strong shoulders caving in a little bit. "Oh, Bird."

Addy had known that her uncle would understand what she meant, but she hadn't expected it to make him sad. "What is it? Are you disappointed in me?"

"No, not at all. I'm… I'm just sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" Addy was the one to tap his foot this time.

Uncle Gerad gulped, pausing to organize his thoughts. "There's so much about living outside of the Palace that's hard and boring and bad. But there are some really basic human dignities that come along with it too, things no amount of money could buy. Like privacy. In the Palace, you have a whole staff of people who are paid to know the moment you wake up, and to accordingly time your meals and morning briefings and deliver your messages. Even at school, your guards have to know when you're going to want to leave for breakfast or class, so they have to listen really carefully to puzzle out when you're awake in the mornings. Even the most basic privacy, like getting to sleep as late as you want on a Saturday without it being anybody else's business, is not afforded to you."

"I guess so." Addy usually tried not to think of it that way, but it was true.

"I live in an apartment. An amazing apartment that your dad helps me pay for so that I can live close to work and be safe, but otherwise it's about as far removed from the Palace as you could get. And nobody knows when I wake up in the morning. It's no one's business but mine. If I want to get up early and go out for coffee, or if I want to sleep in until noon because it's the weekend and I don't feel like doing my laundry yet… It's my choice, and I have the dignity of privacy to live my life however I want, with no judgement from anyone. …You'll never have that."

"I guess not." Addy agreed.

Uncle Gerad leant forward and swung his feet back and forth, "When you were born, I promised myself that I'd show you the world outside of the Palace. I wanted you to have all the best parts of a normal life, and none of the struggles. I used to demand that Mom take us, and our guards, into the city for ice cream or trips to the park… but it was hard. Even then, everyone wanted a picture of the little princess. I guess I thought… I thought if I could get you out of the Palace enough, you'd never need to run away. You'd know what was out there, and you'd have a way of getting what you wanted from the outside world without feeling like you had to escape this one. I guess… I guess I was just kidding myself, but… I'm really sorry, Bird. I think I let you down."

Addy gulped hard and then placed her hand over her uncle's. "I wasn't trying to _escape_ , Uncle Gerad. I love my life. I love the Palace and my family, and I'm proud of what we do here. I wasn't fleeing the Palace when I went to that party; I was running _toward_ something."

"Toward the boy?" Uncle Gerad asked, as if this hadn't occurred to him.

Addy didn't want to make it seem like it was all for a dumb crush, so she said, "Toward what the boy means to me. He loves and admires _me_ , not the title and the royal responsibilities. He isn't paid to pay attention to me, and he doesn't do it for any political favors he could get or any fame that might rub off on him. If anything, those are obstacles that just get in our way. He makes me feel normal, like you tried to. You have a lot in common with him, actually. He's really smart and sweet. I think you'd like him."

"If you like him, I know I'd like him. That's all the vouching for his character that I need." Uncle Gerad agreed. "But Bird…" he shook his head, still bothered by something. "I was a naive kid when I tried to whisk you away from the Palace. I wasn't really offering you the parts of a normal life that are the best, I was offering you ice cream. And a playground. We could have done that here, without the paparazzi and the security detail."

Addy couldn't really remember the outings he was talking about, but she could remember the ones Martin had taken her on. "It's different. There was something special about being in a room full of people who hadn't been pre-approved to talk to me. None of them had to treat me with any deference or respect because of my title, but they still ended up liking me for who I am. I guess I could have swum with Martin in this pool right here." Addy splashed her foot out of the water a little, "I'm sure it would have been exciting and fun, but… we wouldn't have been free."

Uncle Gerad looked around. This pool wasn't near an entrance or exit to the Palace, and it wasn't in a public wing, so there were no guards here. That didn't mean that none of them knew where the Princess was, of course they were keeping track of the whole royal family in case of emergency, but nobody was _watching_ Addy. For all they knew, she and her uncle were ballroom dancing to synthesizer music down here.

Uncle Gerad wrapped an arm around Addy and said, "I can't imagine what it feels like to be you, and I don't really remember what normal life was like before Ames married your dad. But I can tell you what my mom and my big sisters told me after you were born. The best parts of normal life before the Palace were the memories we made together, as a family. My dad teaching us to paint, my mom playing silly music on the piano after dinner to entertain us, Kenna and America making shadow puppet plays in candlelight, my older brother Kota helping me sculpt what would have been a clay bowl if I'd had the patience to sit still for more than two seconds. He didn't _love_ the unfortunate blob that came from my first attempt at sculpting, but he never got rid of it; he kept it on a shelf until he died."

Addy grinned just imagining the clay blob her uncle had crafted, but it got her thinking about her mother helping her plunk out the notes to her favorite song on the piano when she was little. She remembered her dad showing her how to use a long lens camera to capture a breathtaking picture of a butterfly. She remembered helping Maisy learn how to swim, helping Lief brave his fear of heights to climb to the top of the tree castle by himself, and helping Rosie with her adorable little homework pages. She thought of Jamesy taking over her meetings so that she could go away to school.

"I guess I see what you're saying." Addy said, "I already have the best parts of normal life."

"Yeah, you do."

"See? You didn't fail me, Uncle Gerad." Addy winked at him.

He grinned and shook his head, staring at his knees. "I guess not."

" _But_ what about the other parts of normal life?" Addy challenged him gently. "What about that privacy thing you were talking about?"

Uncle Gerad chuckled, "That _privacy thing_ is a fundamental human right, and I still wish we could find a way to give you a little of it. Maybe, when you're queen, you can work on ways to make things better for the royal family moving forward. But Bird, that doesn't mean you can be _dangerous_ in the mean time. You can't run away from your guards."

Addy frowned, immediately defensive again, "I know, I'm sorry—"

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying, if something isn't working for you, then fix the problem. Solve the puzzle. Don't try to cheat." he encouraged her.

Addy gulped, "Being out in the world with Martin is the most exhilarating feeling—"

"Probably because it's forbidden, exotic, and new." Uncle Gerad pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess." Addy admitted. Of course, any time she was with Martin she felt all heady and light. Her heart fluttered on every date they went on, even when he just came over to cook dinner or meet her for breakfast or they took a walk through the park. So the extra special buzz she felt when she thought of their off-campus dates was probably because of what separated those from the rest of her dates with Martin. The special, unique thrill of sneaking somewhere new, alone.

Uncle Gerad leant back on his hands and swished his feet in the water. "I'm glad you weren't trying to escape us, Addy. And I guess I understand wanting to try exotic, forbidden new things. Seems very _seventeen_ of you, if you ask me."

Addy rolled her eyes, "I didn't."

"We'd just rather die than see you get hurt. That's why everyone's flocked back to the nest, Bird." Uncle Gerad said of the rest of the Singer family.

"I get it. I tried to fly out of here and did a big old bellyflop out of the tree on my first jump, didn't I?"

Uncle Gerad laughed, a pure, cheerful balm of a sound, "That's about right."

Addy grinned down at her knees. "I'm not going to do that again. I'm really not, Uncle Gerad. I loved that party, but it wasn't worth all of this. And besides, if what you say is right, then Martin and I can have all the best parts of a normal life together, without risking our safety to do it."

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" Uncle Gerad narrowed his eyes at her.

"No." Addy giggled. "I mean it."

Uncle Gerad grinned at her, taking in her face. "You know, you're more like your mom than you have any right to be."

Addy snorted, "Why? Did she sneak away from Palace guards on secret dates with my dad?"

Uncle Gerad tilted his head to the side, squishing his face as he equivocated, "With your dad?"

Addy blinked, the implication causing a malfunction in her brain that momentarily robbed her of all words. She sputtered, "W—what—"

"Never mind."

"With _not my dad_?"

Uncle Gerad stood up and wiped the moisture from his calves. "Don't worry about it."

"What… that doesn't make any sense… what are you talking about?" Addy leapt up to follow him, ignoring her own legs as her dress fell back to its usual length and then stuck to her wet skin. She did manage not to forget to pick up her shoes before she trailed after her uncle, though she could not quite manage to put them back on her feet. "Uncle Gerad?!"

"Don't ask me, ask your mom." he encouraged her as he led her up to the family room.

"About what? Who? What? Where? _What_?" Addy stammered.

"Or ask your Aunt May, she knows _all_ the gossip." Uncle Gerad grinned.

"But… but…" Then it occurred to Addy. She narrowed her eyes at her uncle. "Maisy put you up to this."

"What?"

"This is a joke! Maisy told you to trick me, to get a good reaction out of me. To make me look dumb!"

"No—"

" _Haha,_ very funny." Addy said sarcastically.

"Bird—" Uncle Gerad laughed at her.

"You just tell your little minion that it didn't work. I outsmarted her, as usual."

Uncle Gerad just shook his head and sighed, "Okay, Addy. That's fine."

Addy led the way upstairs, chin tilted slightly upward, feeling very superior to her immature prankster of a little sister.

* * *

That night after family time, Addy curled up in her favorite pajamas and snuggled under her covers with her favorite book. She was trying to make comforting, familiar, distracting noise in her head so that her mind wouldn't start guessing at what people all over the world were saying about her love life right that very second. She was just about to give up and try to find something on the television instead when Jamesy appeared in her doorway.

"Hot chocolate?" he offered, tilting one of the two mugs in his hand toward her just enough so that she could see the creamy, sweet substance inside.

Addy patted her bed and tossed her book aside, glad for the distraction.

"Thanks." She forced herself to take a small sip and savor the flavor, rather than gulping down half the mug at once in an attempt to drown her anxiety.

They sat together quietly for a minute, each enjoying their drink, then Jamesy said, "You know, when I told you to join a club, this isn't exactly what I had in mind." he smirked.

Addy silently scowled at his teasing, which made him laugh.

After another few sips, he reclined against the pillows beside her. "So how did you even get to that party?"

Addy watched him from the corner of her eyes to gage his reaction, "Martin has a car."

"Woah…" Jameson took a second to chew that one over. "He has his own car?" he clarified.

"Yep."

"Where does he keep it?"

"In the driveway in front of his dormitory."

"And he can just drive whenever he wants?"

"Yeah."

"Geeze." Jamesy breathed. "Has he ever been on a road trip?"

"Yeah, I think it's a little bit of a road trip just to get from his home to school."

"I'd go on a road trip if I had a car. I'd drive everywhere." he mused.

"Like where?"

"From the most northern point in Illéa all the way down to the most southern point. Then east to west. Then maybe some of the historic highways. I'd drive all over the place." He smiled. "What about you?"

"I don't know." Addy sighed. It wasn't even fun to imagine anymore because she knew she'd never drive a car. But maybe Jamesy could. "Hey, get Uncle Ry to teach you to drive." Addy insisted.

"Why?"

"Because you're the backup heir for now, but once I have kids you won't be. That means your security restrictions will change. I'll make sure you're allowed to drive." she said.

" _Seriously_?" he was flabbergasted, his hot chocolate frozen halfway to his lips.

"Yeah. You'll get to have those road trips, I just need you to give me five or ten years to get married, settle into my job as queen, and have a baby."

"Take your time, Adds, seriously." Jameson winced at the idea of his big sister having babies. "Don't rush it just so I can go driving."

"I won't." Addy promised.

Jameson nodded, relieved that she wasn't going to elope tomorrow just to get him a learner's license. "You know… if you want to take road trips, Uncle Aspen can figure it out. There's nothing he wouldn't do for you, if it was important enough to you. It might not be the same as what a civilian could do on a whim, but it would still be a lot of fun."

She breathed out a long sigh, "I know. I just hate having to announce my every move to Uncle Aspen. I don't want him to know about every little date I ever go on. It's creepy."

Jamesy laughed, but he got her point. "I wouldn't want Weaver shadowing my first date."

Addy peeked over at her little brother and said, "You're not allowed to date ever, I decree it."

"What? Why?" he laughed.

"Because you're my baby brother and I refuse to share you."

"You already share me with Maisy, Lief, and Rosie." he pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm late on the decree." Addy admitted. "Still, from now on, I'm not going to share you with anyone else."

Jamesy shook his head, "Okay, sure, whatever you say."

"That's right it's whatever I say."

"Well, what if I want a Selection?" Jamesy challenged.

Addy scrunched her brow, "Would you really?"

"Maybe, I don't know." he shrugged. "Letting me host one could do huge favors for royal approval ratings for you after you're queen." he wiggled his eyebrows.

"You just want to fill the Palace with a bunch of girls so you can kiss all of them." Addy accused.

"I mean, yes, I would have to kiss every single one of them to know if we had a good connection or not. So sue me." he joked.

It was Addy's turn to grimace.

"At least _I'd_ keep my clothes on." he teased.

Addy reached next to her for the closest pillow, then brought it down on Jamesy's face with a vengeance. He barely managed to keep from spilling his drink in the ensuing kerfuffle as he sought his revenge.

Addy called a truce with minimal chocolate spillage and said, "I owe you forever for taking over for me while I'm at school. If you ever want anything… a road trip or a selection or whatever… just ask."

"I want a mansion." he deadpanned.

"Okay." Addy shrugged.

"Jetpack."

"Yep."

"Buy me a carnival."

"Fine, but _you_ have to explain to the taxpayers why their money is buying you a personal carnival."

"Easy. They still _love_ me. I didn't go on secret swimming pool dates with commoners." he teased.

Addy groaned, "You're never letting this die, are you?"

"It's going on your tombstone."

"Jamesy!"

"Rest in Peace beloved Queen and Pool Kisser." he joked.

"I hate you." Addy pouted, even as she giggled. It was amazing to be able to laugh about this. It made her feel less helpless and victimized. For the first time since laying eyes on that magazine cover, Addy felt like she had some of her power back. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to her, but her brother was still making her giggle about it. She was going to be okay.

She poked her tongue out at him. He swiped his thumb on it before she could react. She gagged at the taste of his thumb on her tongue. The battle to see who could annoy each other more resumed as Addy leapt from bed and made for her perfume bottle, threatening him with a spray of the girliest scent she could find. He dashed down the hall and she slammed the door behind him, claiming the rest of his hot chocolate for her own.

* * *

Addy spent the entire next day with Astra: watching movies in the movie theater, baking cookies in the kitchens, and playing a board game in bed with Aunt May to keep her entertained. Every time one of them shifted on the bed, all the game pieces went sliding everywhere and so it was impossible to finish playing, which was exactly what they all wanted. Later, Addy and Astra spent some time playing out in the gardens with Rosie and Lief, then watching a prerecorded television show with Maisy (something they definitely knew wouldn't mention Addy's tabloid scandal in any way).

Despite her worries, both about Martin and the classes she was missing, she had a nice day. She still had no idea what the outside world was saying about her, and that was probably for the best, but her imagination wasn't running as wild with the terrible possibilities now that she had her cousin-sister and her actual siblings to keep her distracted.

That night's phone call with Martin ended quickly. He was studying, trying not to let this incident derail his semester the way that it had derailed Addy's. So Addy wrapped the blanket from her bed around her shoulders like a cape and headed out to the tree castle. She curled up in the corner of the clubhouse portion of the play place and deeply inhaled the sweet, spring garden air through her nose. The tree castle had been her favorite place in the entire world when she'd been a little kid. It had always been a place of imagination and limitless possibilities, a place where the real world didn't matter at all.

Addy imagined what the fairytale princess version of her current predicament would have looked like. She'd have been caught holding hands with a commoner, and the entire kingdom would have been outraged. Then a fairy or a genie or a witch would have come along with a spell to turn Martin into a prince, Addy would have married him, and the kingdom would have been perfectly satisfied. Happily ever after.

No witch was going to come through with a magical fix for her real problem, though. She had no idea what the consequences to running away and getting photographed at a secret party in her underwear were going to be, but at least she knew that if the kingdom decided to banish her to a nunnery, her enormous, noisy family would stop at nothing to visit her as often as the other nuns allowed.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed in quiet, with the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the tree that anchored the tree castle. The sky was clear above the skylight and Addy stared off into space, wondering if there were any alien princesses out there getting sold out by amateur photographers looking for a huge payday. Distantly, Addy heard the echo of a door closing, the first intimation of another human's existence that she'd had in hours. It was possible that it was a guard rotation, but it was equally possible that one of her concerned aunts, uncles, cousins, or siblings was about to chase her down and make sure she was okay.

The voice on the ground below the tree castle calling up to her was not the one she had expected, however.

"Pardon me, are there any princesses in the castle tonight?"

Addy giggled, crawling over to peek down the ramp to the visitor, "Only one."

"I come bearing fresh, cold whipped cream. May I come up?"

Addy nodded down at her father and then crawled back to her corner, awaiting her treats.

"Your Highness." Maxon greeted her when he arrived in her domain. She patted the floor beside her, and he eased himself down, leaning his back against the wall, and handed her the bowl.

There were two small dessert spoon handles sticking out of the whirl of white cream, and they each claimed one. Maxon tapped the end of his spoon against the end of hers as a 'cheers', and they both spent a moment savoring the dessert.

Addy wasn't sure what to say to her father. The last time they'd spoken beyond a couple of words at dinner or family time, he'd been furious at her. Now here he sat, meeting her on her own turf, offering her one of her lifelong favorite treats.

She decided to try talking to him like nothing unusual was happening at all. Like it was exactly one year ago, and Addy hadn't ruined anything yet.

"How was work?"

Maxon sighed heavily through his nose, shaking his head. "Well, if you can believe this, the economy is _too_ good."

Addy laughed, "What?"

"Wages are good, production is inexpensive, interest rates on loans are low… it's a disaster." he chuckled.

"You monster, what have you done?" Addy teased.

"Prices for essential goods are starting to creep upward to increase certain profit margins, and so are average wages. In effect, our money is losing its value. If it continues apace, we could expect to see the buying power of twenty dollars fall to the current value of ten."

" _Half?_ " Addy asked, aghast. "Money could be worth _half_ what it is now? Everyone's savings would be chopped in _half?_ "

"We're taking steps to intervene." Maxon reassured her, then rubbed his brow. "It's tricky, though. If we do the wrong thing, or the right thing but too much or too little of it, it could backfire."

Addy frowned down at their bowl of whipped cream. "I thought I'd be glad that I'm not the most stressful part of your day, but now I'm not so sure."

Maxon peeked over at her from the corner of his eye, "You've never been the most stressful part of my day, not ever. Not even on the day you were born."

Addy stared down at her lap, not wanting to hear it. She didn't want her dad to be mad at her anymore, but she didn't want him to start showering her with praise either. Deep down, she'd always known that she wasn't as good as he thought she was, and she'd thought for sure that he'd realized his mistake now that he'd seen those tabloid pictures.

When Addy didn't respond, didn't so much as turn her head in his direction, Maxon said, "Sweetheart, you know why I had to be stern with you in my office the other day, don't you?"

Addy gulped, "Because I deserved it."

Maxon rubbed his face with his free hand and groaned softly. "That's what I would have thought, too."

Addy set her spoon in the bowl and turned to look at him, resting her chin in her hand, "Were you just mad at me, then?"

Maxon took his cue from her and set aside their dessert. "Birdy, I needed to scare you. I had to. I've done everything in my power, since before you were born, to keep you safe. And I guess, because of that, you never saw the kind of danger we're really in. I know that rebel attacks haven't been much of a problem for you in your lifetime, but that doesn't mean that there are no angry, deranged people out there looking to lash out at the monarchy. I needed you to understand the threat, so that you won't want to run away again. So that running away won't even be appealing anymore, because of what might happen."

Addy squirmed a little, "I'm not going to run away again, Dad—"

"I don't even want you to _want_ to." Maxon reiterated gently.

"Well… that's not fair. Don't you and Mom dream about running away together all the time?"

"When we retire, and not without proper security." Maxon pointed out. "Though, I take your meaning. Daydreaming about a different life is not the same as crawling out a window and sneaking off into the night, though, is it?"

"No." Addy admitted. "Just… Dad, you don't understand, it was _so good_. I went someplace totally spontaneously, and met all these people I never would have met if I hadn't gone, and it was… it was _magical_. I'll always want that."

Maxon considered her. "Addy, believe it or not, I _do_ understand. You got to live a night in someone else's life, like the cinder girl and her slipper of glass. But no enchantment would ever make that life permanent for you, Bird, because you're simply too famous. Were the monarchy to dissolve tomorrow and our family freed from all of our responsibilities, you'd still have one of the most recognizable faces in the entire world. Nothing changes that. What we have to do is find a way to give you spontaneity and new experiences while still keeping you safe. There's got to be a way we can compromise, hasn't there?"

Addy nodded and scooped a quick spoonful of cream into her mouth. "That's what Uncle Gerad said."

"Did he?" Maxon asked, surprised. Then he chuckled, "I like that kid."

Addy laughed too, at the idea of her Uncle Gerad being a 'kid'.

"Speaking of a compromise," Maxon paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small rectangular jewelry box. "I'm having a dilemma. I need the advice of my heir."

"Okay, sure." Addy said. "What is it?"

"Well, see, your Uncle Aspen had this idea… I'm not sure I entirely agree with it, but I can see it has merits. I was wondering what your take on it might be. You see…" Maxon opened the box to reveal a beautiful silver bracelet with several bird charms on it, almost a perfect match for her songbird necklace, "Uncle Aspen commissioned this from the royal jeweler for you. And then he attached a tracking device to it."

Addy raised her eyebrows, "He _what?"_

"I know." Maxon rushed to reassure her, "It's not pleasant."

"Dad… are you… do I—"

Maxon read the fear on her face and hurriedly replied, "You don't have to do anything with it. We can send it right back to the jeweler and have it melted for scrap, if that's what you want."

Addy looked down at it again, still wary, "Why would Uncle Aspen think that I need this? I'm not going to run away again, and I always have guards with me."

"Well, you see, he'd be willing to give you a wider berth around campus if you were wearing this bracelet. No guards most of the time."

"No guards at all?" Addy asked, interest suddenly peaked.

"You'd still have a unit at your house, of course, but you could go to class… or on dates _on campus_ —" he emphasized and Addy rolled her eyes, nodding her head that she got the point, "And nobody would be watching you _per se_. They'd know where you were, and they wouldn't be far in case of emergency, but they wouldn't be tailing you as they usually do."

Now Addy looked down at the silver bracelet with renewed admiration. She tilted it so that it reflected some of the ambient light from the Palace as she considered the freedom this little bracelet could offer her. _No guards_.

"I wouldn't have to wear it all the time, right?" Addy asked.

"Of course not. Not at your dormitory, and not at all if you didn't want to. But then, of course, the protocol would change—"

"Right, right." Addy understood. Then she looked up at her dad, "I'll think it over but… it sounds good, Dad."

Maxon nodded, "If my father had had this technology, he'd have implanted it in me so I could never remove it, and he wouldn't have asked me my opinion on so much as the weather…" Maxon rubbed his face.

Addy stared at her dad, taken aback. Addy knew King Clarkson had been a harsh man, she knew her dad was constantly grappling with his legacy both as a King and as a father, but Maxon almost never spoke this directly about his father's behavior. It occurred to Addy how at his wit's end her dad must be, to be this transparent about what was on his mind.

"This isn't like that, Dad." Addy said steadily. "You're not only asking me my opinion, you're giving me the choice. Whatever I say goes. And it's not an implant, it's a bracelet. If I don't like it, I can throw it in the garbage. I… I don't know what your father would have done if you'd run off to a secret party and kissed a girl in a swimming pool—"

Maxon shook his head and smiled grimly, "He'd have been proud of my display of manliness, but he'd have been annoyed that I got caught."

Addy leaned her head on her dad's shoulder, "Okay, so you can be proud of my manliness now, and we'll deal with getting caught later."

Maxon laughed, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her red head, "I _am_ proud of your manliness, Bird, don't ever doubt it."

Addy giggled, tugging her blanket higher up her shoulders so that she was in a little cocoon of comfort. "I guess my wild party lifestyle has gotten a _little_ out of control. I've started drinking _two_ coffees a day now."

"Dear God, where did your mother and I go wrong?" Maxon teased.

"Oh, I can tell you. It was that time Mom was out of town—"

" _Bird—"_

"And you let me and Jamesy eat cake until I threw up."

Maxon groaned, "You've no business remembering that."

To be honest, Addy didn't remember it at all. She'd learned about it second-hand, from overhearing her mother teasing her father. Jamesy had been nothing but a baby at the time, so Addy couldn't have been more than three or four, and Addy only had a handful of memories from being that young. Still, her father _did_ remember it and it still embarrassed him to no end which made Addy laugh every time.

Maxon checked his watch and then looked down at their bowl. "Let's finish this and go in. I believe your Aunt May is hosting a girl's film night in her bedroom, you wouldn't believe the number of redheaded women she's managed to amass in there."

"Poor Maisy and Rosie must feel so out of place."

"At least they have one another." Maxon chuckled.

Addy looked up at her dad and then handed him his spoon. "Dad, I'm really sorry. It doesn't matter that I wasn't trying to hurt you when I snuck out, because you got hurt all the same. This got really out of control really fast…I had no idea I could mess up this big…"

Maxon used his spoon to place a dot of whipped cream on her nose. "Oh Bird, this isn't big. Don't you remember when your mother went on live national television to propose ending the caste system?"

Addy giggled, "That footage wasn't complete! I only saw the first part of her proposal, it cut off mid-sentence."

"You saw enough." her dad shook his head gravely. "This is only a three or four on the America scale, you're doing fine Adrienne."

Addy wiped her nose clean with a snort of laughter at her mother's expense. Then Maxon snorted at her snort. Then Addy wheezed at his snort, which triggered his wheezing, until they both sat collapsed together on the treehouse floor, paralyzed with embarrassing laughter.


	27. Chapter 26

The first thing Martin said when he answered the telephone on Thursday morning was, " _Did you read it?_ "

Addy grinned from ear to ear; she knew exactly what had him so excited. For the first time since the tabloid scandal had broken, she'd received newspapers with her breakfast. The staff had been keeping them from her so that she wouldn't have to subject herself to every nasty thing being said about her, but this time someone had actually said something good. It was only one person, only one statement, but _everyone_ was talking about it. "I did."

Martin laughed, "Your godmother is something else."

In a first for the Italian monarchy, Queen Nicoletta of Italy had personally penned an editorial response to Illéan gossip. She had a few choice thoughts about the scandal surrounding the leaked photographs of Addy, and she'd never been the type of woman to keep her thoughts to herself.

Apparently she'd written her editorial several days ago, when this mess had first started, but she'd been keeping it secret until the press had grown bored with the same old salacious gossip about their "wild party princess". Then, just as the newspapers and magazines ran out of ways to talk about the photographs and the public ran out of ways to be shocked by them, Nicoletta had her office release her scathing rebuke of the Illéan print media to one of the widest-read independent newspapers in Illéa. That editorial was so forceful and jarring that it functioned as a stun grenade: suddenly the whole gossip machine froze, unable to move forward.

"It's kind of embarrassing that she did that." Addy confessed with a wicked grin.

"She must really love you. She didn't let rumors leak out of her press room that it was going to happen, and she didn't answer a single question about it afterward, not even from Italy's reporters. She _annihilated_ the people who've been directly profiting off of this, and then just went on with her day like nothing had happened."

"I wonder if she warned Mom that she was about to take a blowtorch to the entire Illéan magazine industry, or if she just snapped?" Addy giggled.

" _The world is watching while Illéan businessmen make small fortunes publishing the private photographs of an undressed, underage girl. No matter what position she will hold in your government in the future, it is lewd, vile behavior to gawk at the private images of a teenager in her underwear. Furthermore, it is a crime to profit off of the distribution of pedophilic material, and I encourage the appropriate authorities to take immediate action._ Holy crap, Addy." Martin marveled.

"She just called everyone who sold those pictures of me a pedophile." Addy rubbed her forehead with her hand, not sure if her godmother had gone too far or if she was the only one who had gone far enough.

"I mean, you're not eighteen." Martin pointed out. "Adults don't have any business trying to buy or sell pictures of you in your underwear."

"They wouldn't have any business doing that if I _was_ eighteen," Addy pointed out sharply. "But I get your point. I just can't believe the Queen of Italy called a bunch of media moguls _pedophiles_ for publishing those pictures."

"They're making a fortune off of your body, I think Queen Nicoletta is right." Martin insisted. "I like her."

Addy giggled, "Yeah, you and Aunt Nic are going to get along just fine."

"She's my kinda royal." Martin agreed. "Geez, Addy, the front gates of the university are _deserted_ today. All week there have been photographers trying to get interviews with anybody who's ever even seen you on campus, and now it's like a ghost town out there. I think Queen Nicoletta's editorial really changed things. I think they're ashamed of themselves now."

"Good." Addy insisted, hope flaring up in her chest. "If they're really gone forever, maybe I can go back to school."

"Yeah, that would be great." Martin sounded like he had that balloon of hope rising in his chest too, "And if all of this starts to calm down, my family can get their lives back." His family was still on house arrest to keep them safe from overzealous reporters and stalker-types.

Addy nodded, though she knew he couldn't see it. "I owe my godmother a thank you card."

"So do I," Martin laughed, "Where do I send it?"

Addy twirled the telephone cord on her finger, "You can give it to me, I can get it to her."

Martin's voice had a smile in it, and was brimming with pride as he said, "Yeah, you can do anything."

Addy blushed hard and was glad he wasn't there to see it. She deflected with a joke, "Anything but sneak off-campus for a midnight pool party."

"Well, you _can_." Martin pointed out with another laugh, "You just might not like what happens after."

"Yeah, it might lead to the Queen of Italy utterly destroying a bunch of rich old magazine owners." Addy said.

"Easily the best thing to come from this mess so far." Martin pointed out.

"I think I'll eat pasta tonight to honor her. It's what she'd want." Addy joked.

"Me, too." Martin agreed.

"Telephone pasta date?"

"You're on."

"Who said long-distance relationships were a challenge?" Addy scoffed.

"They're a breeze, as long as both of us are functionally imprisoned in our own houses." Martin agreed.

* * *

Astra had a mandatory rehearsal that morning, but she got back to the Palace in time for lunch and so she and Addy claimed the Women's Room for their own. They chose the comfiest chairs, dragged them over to the window with the best view, and dug into gourmet sandwiches and a vegetable plate. Astra was ravenous after all of her intense morning exercise and devoured all of her own food before claiming everything Addy had abandoned on her plate, too.

"Hey, I haven't heard from Kile this week." Addy mentioned as she sipped her iced tea, "I know he's been swamped with studying, but is he okay? It's starting to get weird."

Astra froze mid-chew, eyes lifting to meet Addy's in a round, spooked expression. She swallowed with a gulp and then ran her tongue over her teeth to make sure there was no food stuck there just to buy herself a moment. Then she said, "Uh, well, actually—"

Addy tilted her head to the side, heart beating faster. What was it? Was Kile not at school any longer? Had something happened? Had he transferred? Had he quit to run away with Astra? What had she missed?

"He's… he needs some space, Bird."

"Space from what?" Addy blinked, unaware. Then, after a moment, she read her cousin's expression. "Wait… space from me?"

"Yeah." Astra frowned sympathetically.

"Why? Is he mad at me?"

Astra wiggled in her seat uncomfortably, trying to think of the best way to phrase this, "He just… he's hurt, Bird. When you ran away without your guards it made him feel like… I guess, like you don't care about his dad, as a guard. He felt disrespected. Like the sacrifices his dad has made for your family don't mean anything to you."

"That's insane! Astra, you told him I care, right?"

"Of course I did. And he knows you love him and his family. He's just rattled, and he needs a little time. We're talking it through, don't worry, everything's going to be okay."

Addy collapsed back in her plush chair, head lolling backward to stare at the ceiling. "I love Uncle Carter. I didn't do this because I don't care about the Woodworks. This wasn't about the guards for once, this was about me! Why does _everybody_ keep making this about _them_?!"

Astra peered steadily at her cousin, completely unwilling to participate in the pity party, "You know you exist in the same world as everyone else, Addy. Even if you do something for yourself, it's going to affect other people. You went to that party to enjoy yourself, but that action has rippled out and made Kile and Meri feel miserable. Just because it wasn't your intention doesn't make it untrue."

"Wait, _Meri_? That's why she hasn't called to check on me? She's mad at me, so suddenly she doesn't care if I'm okay or not?"

Astra shook her head, "That's not fair. She loves you a lot, Addy, and I've been updating them so that they don't have to worry about you and they can take care of themselves."

Addy folded her arms over her chest defensively, "Uncle Aspen isn't mad at me and neither is Uncle Carter. Uncle Ryland's a guard too, and Aunt May doesn't think I don't care about him! They're being stupid, Astra." Addy whined. She could hear how terrible she sounded to her own ears, but she was so shaken that she couldn't begin to bring herself to behave in a more rational, mature way. Maybe this was how Meri and Kile were feeling, too.

Astra rolled her eyes at her younger cousin's antics, "That's different."

"How is it different?"

"The guards don't think about their sacrifices in the same way that the children of the guards do. Meri and Kile grew up never knowing if their dads were safe or not. You don't know what that's like, going to sleep every night and not knowing if your dad would come home or die. And the reason you don't know that feeling is specifically _because_ of their dads. If it wasn't for Uncle Aspen, the monarchy wouldn't be here today. You never would have been born, let alone all the work he did to make sure your school was safe enough that you could live there. And Uncle Carter is his second-in-command."

"Don't they think I know that?" Addy scowled.

"Well, it wasn't considerate when you ran away from the guards, was it, Addy?" Astra pointed out. "I mean, it literally wasn't something you considered. I think it just reminded them, for the first time in a very long time, that you're royal and they're not. They never do anything without thinking about how it reflects on your dad and the monarchy, because they grew up in and around the Palace and people judge them based on that. But you did something without giving their families a second thought. They're reeling, Addy, they need some time and space."

"Well lucky for them, I'm banned from school and stuck in this Palace forever." Addy sniffled as the tears she'd been wrestling with finally leaked down her cheeks.

Astra leaned forward until she could reach Addy's knee and place a hand there, "It's _not_ forever. It's not. And when their wounds are healed up a little, they'll be ready to forgive you. Everything will be okay. This is a stumbling block, not a bottomless pit."

But it felt like a bottomless pit. Addy's oldest, best friends hated her. It felt like the end of the everything.

* * *

Addy had been anxious earlier in the week just thinking about her appearance on the _Report_ later that Friday. She knew Gavril always hand-selected audience members for live episodes to avoid potential disturbances from the crowd, but what if someone slipped through and started harassing Addy on live television? Would she have to apologize for her behavior, or would she demand an apology from them for trying to ambush her? Every possibility seemed like a publicity misstep. Then, after her godmother's scathing editorial in the newspaper, Addy felt a small flicker of hope, not quite bright enough to completely banish the darkness. Was it possible that _maybe_ Gavril would be able to find a whole audience of people who were actually on Addy's side?

But what happened on Thursday morning seemed to restore Addy's missing confidence all at once. She felt like herself again, not someone who'd been publicly shamed and privately scolded until she'd become a totally different person.

For the second day in a row, Addy received the front page and a few select stories from some newspapers, but this time instead of someone else's words vehemently defending her, Addy found her own words splashed across the front page. Somehow this newspaper had gotten ahold of a copy of one of Addy's essays from her foreign relations seminar. It outlined a proposal for a diplomatic and economic strategy with regards to one of Illéa's allies. Addy remembered this one because this hadn't been a partner project, she hadn't had Lenore's help, but she'd still managed to get a great grade. It had made her more confidant than ever that Lenore wasn't carrying her through that class.

Now that essay was accompanied by interviews with a few experts in foreign policy, complimenting the savvy and unexpectedly mature understanding Addy seemed to have of the intricacies of foreign policy. One of the commentators went so far as to say that he looked forward to working with the mind behind this proposal.

Addy bounded out of bed and showered quickly, stuffing the rest of her toast down her throat somewhere along the way, then she dressed herself in the first work dress she could find and dashed off to find her parents.

Her dad was already in his office having a casual discussion with his top adviser, Mr. Evander, but when he spied his daughter poking her head through the door he waved her inside. Without another word spoken he swept her into a tight hug. When he did speak, it was just to say, "I'm so proud of you."

"I didn't do anything." Addy reminded him.

"That outline was phenomenal, Bird, and you wrote it. That's something." he reminded her.

"I just meant that I didn't give it to the reporters. I guess it's good PR, but I didn't think of it or do it myself."

"Ordinarily I'd be furious that anyone would leak your private coursework, or that the public would feel free to judge your ability to be Queen based on one homework assignment you did at school when you were a teenager, but given the circumstances… I'm thrilled." Maxon confessed.

"I'll try to figure out who leaked it, I'll ask them not to do it anymore." Addy said.

Maxon nodded, more than sufficiently mollified, then pressed a huge kiss to her forehead. Addy dismissed herself so her dad could get back to work and she returned to her bedroom. She felt bouncy, like she'd had a whole pot of coffee even though she hadn't had a single sip. She picked up the telephone and started dialing, hoping her prime suspect would answer the phone.

Instead, one of her prime suspect's roommates picked up, and it took a moment to chase down the suspect. Finally, a nonplussed, borderline annoyed voice demanded, "Hello?"

"It's Addy."

"Oh." Lenore's annoyance was gone, but she was still uncertain how to proceed, "How… how are you?"

They hadn't spoken since the tabloid scandal had broken. "I'm good."

"Are you coming back to school soon?"

"I hope so."

"Mm." Lenore grunted, not willing to say words like 'I hope so too' or 'I miss you'.

"Hey, do you read any newspapers?" Addy asked eagerly.

"…No. Why?"

" _None?_ "

Addy could practically hear Lenore rolling her eyes, "Why are you bothering me, Brat?"

"Somebody leaked one of my essays to a newspaper, and you're the only person other than me who ever read it. You checked to make sure I didn't spell 'Illéa' wrong and that my bibliography had the right format."

"You think I would leak that?" Lenore was emphatic when she said, "I would _never_ show anyone anything of yours that you didn't give me permission to share."

Addy blinked, warmth spreading in her chest as a smile spread on her lips. When had Lenore become so loyal? "Thanks. That's really rare, Len. It means a lot to me."

There was a long moment as Lenore decided whether or not to snap at Addy for calling her 'Len'. Addy could hear her tongue brush over her teeth. Finally she said, "Anyway, you're being stupid."

"Am I?" Addy giggled at the sheer novelty of being called 'stupid'. Lenore was anything but a sycophant.

"I'm not the _only_ one who read it, unless you never turned it in."

Addy let Lenore's implication sink in for a moment. "Professor Dearwood? You think she leaked one of my papers?"

"She certainly knows more reporters than I do." Lenore pointed out.

"But why would she do it?"

Lenore yawned on her end of the phone, evidence that she'd been studying nonstop to prepare for exams, and said, "I don't know, maybe she was sick of everyone talking about your body and your boyfriend. Maybe she wanted to remind them that you have a mind."

Addy smirked down at her feet, "I thought you didn't read any newspapers."

Lenore growled a little and said, "Forget it."

Addy laughed, "Okay. It's forgotten."

* * *

Addy was almost ready for bed that night, actually looking forward to the following evening's _Capital Report,_ when the door to her bedroom creaked open and Rosie padded inside.

"It's _way_ past bedtime, Bud." Addy admonished.

Rosie rubbed her eye, "I had a dream, I can't sleep."

"Was it scary?"

Rosie shook her head 'no'.

"It was just a dream, try laying down and closing your eyes."

"I did that already," Rosie insisted, "I need something before I can sleep."

"What is it?"

"A snack."

Addy grinned and scooped Rosie up onto her hip. "I guess it's been a while since dinner, hasn't it?"

Rosie nodded gravely.

"Well, why didn't you ask Mommy and Daddy?"

"I need a special snack, Mommy and Daddy won't say yes."

Addy peered into her baby sister's brown eyes dubiously, "What kind of special snack do you need, Bud?"

"I need cookie and milk pie."

Addy blinked, confused, "What is that?"

"I dreamed it. Then I waked up and I can't sleep anymore until I eat it."

Addy bit at her lower lip to keep from making any noises about how cute this was. "You dreamed up a whole new snack?"

"Yes."

"Tell me all about it."

"It's pie, but it isn't berries or pumpkin. The middle is milk and cookies. It's cookie and milk pie, let's go find some." Rosie encouraged.

Addy checked the clock, "Bud, if we go get sugar at this hour, you're going to have a hard day of lessons tomorrow."

"I will _never_ sleep again until cookie and milk pie!" Rosie insisted, folding her arms over her chest.

Addy sighed, relenting. She knew what it was like to have a craving, especially for milk. Rosie was going to lose sleep one way or another. "You better go ask Daddy."

"He will say no." Rosie warned.

Addy shook her head, "You just have to pout your lip a little and blink extra and tell him how much you missed him all day while he was working, and you just want to have a little bit of a snack with him now."

Rosie tilted her head skeptically, "For real?"

"Works every time." Addy sat her sister back onto the floor and patter her back in the direction of the door. "Come get me when he says yes."

"Okay." Rosie hurried out the door.

It happened fast. Addy had pulled on a robe and slippers and tied her hair out of her face in a messy bun when Rosie came bolting back in.

"Daddy says okay but he has early work in the morning and he can't come. He says I can have a little of a treat, not too much."

"What did Mommy say?"

Rosie smiled, pleased with herself, "Mommy was sleeping. I whispered real quiet so she wouldn't wake up and say no."

"Smart thinking." Addy giggled, offering her sister a hand to hold as they headed off to the kitchens.

At this hour, so close to midnight, the dinner crew was done for the night and the breakfast crew had a few more hours to sleep. Addy wasn't sure who they'd find who might be able to help them create the dessert of Rosie's dreams, but she figured that she could make a cookies and cream milkshake if all else failed and Rosie would be happy enough.

When they got down to the part of the kitchen closest to the dairy closet, though, the answer to all their problems appeared right before them. A young woman Astra's age was pouring through handwritten recipes, all manner of empty bowls, measuring devices, and mixing machines displayed in front of her. As she mouthed the words to the recipe, she pointed to different utensils. It occurred to Addy that she was studying.

When the girl spotted Addy and Rosie, she dropped into a curtsy, "Your Highnesses, can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, do you know how to cook things?" Rosie said, taking charge immediately.

"I do, Princess Rosalynn. I'm training to be a new assistant chef here at the Palace."

This seemed to satisfy Rosie, who nodded and said, "I need something very bad. I need cookie and milk pie."

The girl lifted her eyes to Addy for an explanation, and Addy said, "Why don't you tell her all about it, Buddy. Maybe she knows where we can find some ingredients to help us."

As Rosie explained her dream again, the young woman in front of them did her best to take the nightgown-clad princess seriously, nodding and folding her arms to show Rosie that she was being listened to very closely indeed. Addy figured that this girl must have had a younger sibling of her own, to be this good at interacting with a five-year-old.

Finally the prospective chef said, "Hm. I think I might be able to help you, Princess. I'll need some help, though."

"I can help." Rosie volunteered eagerly.

Addy spoke up, "Only if we're not disturbing you. If you need to be doing something else…" she trailed off, pointedly nodding to the array of instruments on the enormous countertop.

The young woman said, "Thank you, Princess. I think what I really need is a break."

Addy certainly understood that feeling.

The young chef, who introduced herself as Billie, cleared away most of what she'd been working on and then offered Rosie a prime seat on the countertop. She pulled up a stool for Addy to perch on next to her sister, and the private cooking show began.

"Now, in your dream, did this cookie and milk pie have a crust?"

"Yes." Rosie said emphatically.

"Would it be okay if I made the crust for the cookie and milk pie out of cookies?"

Rosie's eyes widened at the thought, "How?" it sounded like magic to her.

Billie was quick to hand Rosie a sealed plastic baggie full of yesterdays chocolate cookies with instructions to crunch them up. While Rosie went berserk on the baggie, Billie melted some butter and then had Rosie add the cookie crumbs. When the two were thoroughly mixed, Billie pressed the concoction into a pie pan until the bottom and the sides were covered. "Voila, cookie crust." Billie smiled.

Rosie clapped her hands.

"Now, about the milk. I'm worried that pouring milk into the crust will be too liquid-y. The milk might just spill all over the place and not turn into a pie."

Rosie nodded seriously, "I know, in my dream it was okay but I think it will really spill in real life."

"I have a suggestion. What if we add milk to something a little more solid, something that won't spill at all."

"Like what?" Rosie pondered.

"Maybe… pudding?"

Rosie wasn't convinced. "Pudding is very yummy…" she allowed.

"Is it too thick?" Billie asked.

"Too puddingy." Rosie nodded.

"I know something that will turn that pudding into soft, whipped, airy deliciousness. Do you trust me?"

Rosie pressed her little lips together and nodded. If this chef could make crust out of cookies, she could make pie out of milk. Before their eyes, Billie got to work making a quick vanilla pudding (with a big show of adding milk for Rosie's benefit), all while at the same time whipping up fresh whipped cream. When both were ready, she folded the whipped cream into the pudding until both were perfectly blended. Then she dashed off and returned with another handful of chocolate cookies, this time speedily quartering them with a knife and then tossing the quarters into the pudding mixture. When it was over, she dumped the filling onto the pie shell and offered it to Rosie for inspection.

"How does it look?"

"Good."

"Does it look like milk and cookies?"

"Yeah!"

The chef pulled a spoon out of a drawer and handed it to Rosie, "Only one way to find out if it tastes good, too."

Rosie took a big old spoonful out of the pie and made a huge production of enjoying her bite. "It's just like my dream!"

The chef curtsied and smiled, "I'm happy the recipe worked out."

For the first time in half an hour, Addy spoke up, "You know, this is far too much milk and cookie pie for us to eat by ourselves. Why don't we leave a slice here for chef Billie and we'll bring the rest up to share with Jamesy, Maisy, and Lief?"

Rosie nodded, helping herself to another spoonful.

"That's kind of you, Princess, but I didn't make this for myself—"

"I know you didn't." Addy insisted. "But you might like a snack while you're studying."

Billie winced, "My examination is first thing in the morning. I won't sleep until tomorrow afternoon."

Addy had watched Kile do something similar during their last exams. Her stomach ached at the memory of her friend, running himself ragged studying, sleeping over on her extra bed and taking over their dining room table because his dormitory was too loud to study in. Now he was mad at her. Not just mad, but _hurting_. He was hurt because she'd hurt him, and she had no idea how to make it right. "Enjoy the treat." Addy insisted. "Thank you for making my baby sister's dreams come true."

Billie chuckled at the phrasing, "It's always so easy to do when they're that age. It isn't until our age that we have to stay awake for days, working and studying nonstop to get a chance at our dreams."

Addy nodded, thinking maybe it was a mistake to have ever wanted more from life than milk and cookie pie. Rosie tugged her hand, "I can carry the spoons, can you carry the pie?"

"I got it." Addy promised. She left a slice for Billie, who was quickly cleaning the dishes she'd used to create Rosie's pie, and then let her little sister lead the way back upstairs.

It was a silent midnight party. Rosie tiptoed into every bedroom, starting with Lief and working her way up to Jamesy, encouraging everyone to meet in Addy's room. Once there, they all dug into the pie with spoons and whispered enthusiastic praises to Rosie. They called her a genius for dreaming up such a delicious recipe. Rosie was in heaven with all the attention and sugar. The Schreave kids made a pact never to tell their parents about the midnight pie party, it was a sibling secret of the highest order.

When the pie was gone, Addy wiped Lief and Rosie's cheeks of cookie crumbs and tucked them both into Lief's bed. She knew they'd wiggle and whisper for a few minutes, but then they'd drift off.

Addy had a much harder time falling asleep, her mind buzzing with possibilities. Tomorrow would be her first chance to start rehabilitating her image with the public, and if it went well she could find a way to formally request that the King allow her to return to school. But then what if she did return to school? Kile and Meri were furious at her, Martin's life was in turmoil, and Luke had no idea if her guards would be able to continue contributing to his security while he was in Illéa for the next year. Her godmother's letter to the editor and Professor Dearwood's strategic leak of Addy's essay had gotten Addy started on the road toward getting her life back, but there were still so many hurdles ahead and absolutely no guarantee that things could ever go back to the way they were before.

It was hard to tell from here if this enormous mess was changing her, and if so, whether she was becoming a stronger person or just a more traumatized one. Maybe it was still too soon to know for sure.

* * *

Addy didn't have much to do the following day, except wait impatiently for the _Report._ She spent a few minutes on the telephone with Martin, and a little while keeping Aunt May company, but the day seemed to crawl by. Addy was enormously relieved when a note arrived that her father wanted to see her in his office immediately, because at least it gave her something to think about for a little while.

'Immediately' was the kind of summons that Addy liked best, because it meant she didn't need to change clothes or arrange her hair or makeup. She could just go and focus on whatever needed her attention in total comfort. She arrived at her dad's office in jeans and a soft shirt, expecting to find her dad and several advisers mid-discussion on some policy that Maxon would want her opinion about. There might be maps or charts, and a tray of coffee and snacks.

Instead, when Addy opened the door to her father's office she found her dad and Officer Weaver and no one and nothing else.

"What's going on?" Addy asked, a sense of foreboding prickling at the back of her neck. This wasn't right.

Officer Weaver stood and bowed to acknowledge her entrance, but he didn't speak. Maxon said, "Come in, Adrienne. Thank you for joining us."

"Of course." Addy took the chair next to Officer Weaver and waited. What was happening? Did it have to do with Addy's security detail? Some of them had stayed behind to help protect Luke, was Luke safe? Had something gone wrong?

Neither man so much as blinked. They were both loathe to speak, to acknowledge whatever it was that they both knew was happening. Maxon finally cleared his throat reluctantly and sank down behind his desk. Weaver stiffly followed suit now that his king was seated.

"Adrienne, I…" Maxon trailed off, shaking his head at the papers on his desk.

Addy tried not to squirm in her seat as she waited for someone to tell her what was going on. Had the scandal gotten worse somehow? Was there about to be a war? Was he about to tell her that she could never go back to university again, tracking bracelet or no tracking bracelet? Every terrible thing imaginable was possible and it made Addy want to scream.

Finally Maxon lifted his eyes to hers and said, "Officer Weaver has just handed me his letter of resignation."

It took several moments for the full force of his words to sock Addy in the stomach like she'd been sucker-punched. Her posture slouched, collapsed back in the chair.

Maxon continued, mostly to buy Addy time while she recovered, "He wanted to resign the day we brought you home from school, but he stayed on until the full investigation into the incident was concluded."

The _incident_.

Addy climbing out her window and sneaking off-campus in the middle of the night. Scaring her father half to death, spoiling her own public reputation, hurting her best friends' feelings, and now destroying Weaver's distinguished career with scandal and disgrace. She wanted to crawl into the earth and disappear forever.

Maxon pressed on, "Well, the investigation was concluded today. All the reports have been filed. Weaver has formally requested to be removed from your detail and relieved of his duties as a member of the Palace guard."

Addy still couldn't fully make sense of it. Was Weaver mad at her, like Meri and Kile? Was there an apology big enough, an explanation benign enough to fix this? She turned to face the man who'd been by her side since the day she was born and said, "I'm _so_ sorry. If I'd known it was going to hurt you, I never would have gone. I just wanted to have a normal date. Please don't quit on me."

Weaver seemed surprised by the direct appeal, and he choked on a watery, forced smile. Addy pressed her hand to her mouth as she realized that she'd brought tears to this fearless soldier's eyes. "Princess, I promise that nothing you could ever do would make me quit on you. The fact of the matter is that I don't deserve my post."

Addy had to stop herself from leaving her chair, because if she did then he'd have to join her, but all she wanted to do was kneel down in front of him. She settled for leaning as far toward him as she could. "No one in the whole world would be a better head of my security." she insisted desperately.

Weaver shook his head, unable to fully explain himself to her. What he was feeling went deeper than words, but Addy got a good sense of it by the rasp and rattle of his voice, _"I didn't even know that you were gone._ "

"I was careful." she managed, a feeble attempt at consoling him.

He cleared his throat and his voice returned, insistent, "You should be able to try to sneak away until you turn blue in the face, that's your right. But it's an entirely different matter that I didn't know you were doing it. You deserve a head of security who can keep you safe, even from yourself."

Addy let her head fall back against the plush chair as she began gathering counterpoints, defending Weaver from his own attacks. But before she could say anything, Maxon rested his face in his steepled palms and let out a heavy, miserable sigh. "He's right, Bird."

"Daddy, no—"

"He's _right_. Take yourself out of it for a moment and consider. What if we were talking about Rosie running away?"

Addy's gut turned to ice as she felt herself beginning to see things from their perspective. If Rosie got it in her head to run away and she packed up her favorite toys and took off in the middle of the night, it would be negligence of the highest order for her guards not to know what she was up to.

Maxon added, "It doesn't mean that Weaver isn't a good guard or one of the best friends our family has ever had…" he met Weaver's eyes when he said the last part.

"I don't care." Addy insisted stubbornly.

"Bird—"

" _I don't care_ , Dad. Weaver's been with you since before I was born, twenty years of flawless, selfless service, and you want to throw him out after one mistake?"

"Of course not, but we're not talking about neglected paperwork or something—"

"I won't let you resign." Addy turned to Weaver, drawing herself up to her princess posture. "I forbid it. I wouldn't ever feel safe without you nearby. Never."

"Princess—" he reproached.

"I'm not negotiating." Addy said flatly, turning her attention back to her father. "I understand that you've lost some trust in him, but you have to give him a way to earn it back. You can't just throw him out."

Maxon exasperatedly gestured to the letter of resignation on his desk, "You'll find I'm not the one throwing him out."

"And you can't throw yourself out," Addy turned to Weaver, "You've worked too hard for too long to let it all go because one thing went wrong."

"For this to have happened, so many things would have had to go wrong—" Weaver attempted to explain, but Addy was having none of it.

She shook her head, nose tilted slightly upward in defiance, and insisted, "There has to be a way for you to earn back Dad's trust, there has to be a mechanism for forgiveness. If there's no way for you to ever be forgiven for not catching me, then what chance is there for me to ever be forgiven for sneaking out?" She was trying to keep her voice under control, but the desperation she felt was leaking through the cracks by the end of her plea.

The men in the room didn't answer for a moment. The last thing either of them wanted was to saddle her with guilt that would haunt her for the rest of her life. As their eyes met, they seemed to tacitly agree that they needed to proceed with caution.

Maxon leant back in his chair, "I'm inclined to agree with you Adrienne, and I'll tell you why. I like the idea that, just because someone in your employ has failed you, you do not have to scorch the earth they walk on to teach the others a lesson. My father would have had Weaver executed. I would just as soon see him replaced. But you want him to earn forgiveness, and I believe that quality of mercy in a queen is going to earn respect and admiration, is going to allow you to earn loyalty rather than come into it via fear and intimidation. As Weaver's the head of your security detail, and you are only a few years shy of becoming the Queen, the 'mechanism for forgiveness' as you put it is yours to design. How will Weaver redeem himself?"

Addy looked between Weaver and her dad and tried not to buckle under the weight of her decision. Addy the girl wanted to insist that Weaver take her out for ice cream and that could be his punishment. Addy the almost Queen had to be more practical. The words broke her heart, but they were the best she could devise on the spot.

"Weaver will be demoted from my security detail." Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she managed, with tremendous effort, to keep her voice steady. "He'll still be a palace guard, but his status will be probationary. For… three weeks."

Maxon met her eyes and gently shook his head. Not long enough.

Addy scowled, "Fine," the words were like ashes in her mouth, "Until my Selection." she muttered.

Maxon nodded. Better.

"Uncle Aspen should decide the specific terms of the probation, but I think… I think it should include any training that Weaver needs to update his skills for the future. Because I'll want him back on my team, at full status, when I draw those names from the candidate pool."

Maxon considered her words carefully, "I think that's more than fair, Adrienne. Officer Weaver, do you accept those terms?"

Addy looked over and saw the conflict in Weaver's eyes. He still had reservations about staying on. He, just like Addy had been in the beginning, was looking for something more in the way of painful punishment to absolve himself of the heavy guilt he was carrying.

Addy recognized that feeling, so she added, " _Please_. You have decades of experience guarding me, and no guard will ever know me better than you do. You've been with me everywhere I've ever gone since I was a baby…" Addy tried to imagine never seeing him again and choked on a sob. "Don't just disappear."

Weaver had never learned to refuse his pigtailed little princess anything. It had never been covered in his military training, and he had no desire to learn now. He was too set in his ways. "I won't disappear, I promise. I'll accept the demotion and the probationary status. I'll do better from now on." he vowed softly.

Addy ditched the decorum and slid out of her chair, bending down so she could throw her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry, I won't ever run away again, I swear, I _swear_ , I swear…"

"That's… that's good to know, Princess." Weaver rubbed her back soothingly.

When Addy was afraid she might drop snot onto his uniform, she returned to her seat and Maxon said, "Have the rest of the day off, Weaver. I'll inform General Leger of the Princess' decision tomorrow and we'll take it from there."

Weaver bowed, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. He gave Addy's shoulder one last reassuring squeeze and then he left.

Maxon tore up Weaver's resignation letter with relief and set it aside for a maid to dispose of with the rest of the rubbish. "The other guards on your detail have been reassigned."

" _No_ —" Just when Addy thought she'd made things right.

"They're still in the service, but they aren't Palace guards. They still have full pay and I've instructed that their new superior officers aren't to know why they've been transferred. But they can't stay on as your guards, you must understand that."

"It's _my_ fault, Dad, I tricked them."

Maxon shook his head, "You shouldn't have been able to trick them. There are cameras monitoring the door into your dormitory, and the front and back lawns. One guards is always awake to make sure that things are going smoothly. One of them was awake, and should have seen you sneak out, but either they shirked their responsibilities by failing to keep watch or they shirked them by letting you run off unguarded. Either way, you need new guards."

Addy had already spent all the goodwill she had with her father on this issue, she could tell just by the tone in his voice. "I ruined their careers." Addy tried one last plea for mercy.

"They'll have outstanding opportunities in other branches of military service, I assure you."

Addy stared at her lap, teeth tugging at her lower lip. Finally she said, "I'll wear the tracking bracelet, Dad."

"Will you?" his voice softened.

"Yeah. I'll do whatever it takes if you'll let me go back to school."

Maxon stood from his chair and stretched his back, rubbing at his neck and removing his glasses. He left them on one side of the desk as he came around to lean against it, hands falling into his pockets. "I'll speak with Aspen about it, see how the search is going for a new guard detail for you. If he's ready with candidates, if the campus is secure, and if the media have quieted down… I see no reason to keep you from your education."

Addy had thought she'd feel so relieved to hear those words. And she did, a little. But new guards, and no Weaver… her little house suddenly felt a lot less like a little home. At least she still had Lucas.

"I'd better go start studying, then." Addy stood. "Exams are next week… I've missed all the reviews and study days…"

Maxon leant forward off his desk and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Get to work, sweetheart. I'll see you tonight."

Addy turned to leave but Maxon paused, "Oh, your mother asked me to tell you… she's approved your travel to England once school ends."

"England? Why?"

"Prince Lucas' birthday." he replied, surprised at her question.

Addy was astonished. In the chaos of the week, Lucas' twentieth birthday had completely slipped her mind. She hadn't even started thinking up a present for him yet, how was she going to top last year's? She'd been giving the Princes of England thoughtful little gifts since she was a toddler, ham-fists proffering pretty rocks or colorful weeds, but it was all more complicated now.

Her brow must have furrowed because her father chuckled, immediately reading her expression. "You'll think of something, Birdy. You always do."

* * *

Addy and Bridget schemed up the perfect outfit for the _Capital_ _Report_ that evening; something demure and pale pink, a conservative skirt, and her grandmother Amberly's pearls (on loan from her mother). In other words, something that screamed 'innocence' from every angle.

The makeup artist, a young man more devastatingly beautiful than Addy could ever hope to be, was waiting for her when she arrived on set and immediately got to work lathering her face with neutral, natural colors to compliment the outfit. He gave her rosy cheeks and dewey skin, stopping just shy of making Addy look like a porcelain doll. The effect was instantaneous: how could any girl so young and so _pink_ do anything wrong? It was impossible.

Addy could hear the eager audience being led into their seats on the other side of the heavy back curtain that divided the television set from backstage. Her stomach swarmed with killer bees. Most of those people would probably forgive her, but if even one of them spoke out against her, the whole _Report_ episode could backfire horribly. It could set Addy back weeks in her efforts to recover the people's favor.

Gavril appeared in full flow from around a corner that led to a control room, issuing nonstop orders to the various assistant directors and technicians around him. He paused everything to bow deeply to the Schreaves, shaking Maxon's hand, kissing America's cheek, patting Lief's shoulder, and twirling Rosie in a dance that allowed her little skirt to flair fully out.

His own makeup artist swooped in and got to work preparing his face for the harsh studio lights and Gavril continued issuing orders to his assistants as if he'd never even been interrupted.

Before leaving to greet and warm up the studio audience, Gavril paused by Addy's makeup chair. "This is going to be easy, Princess, I promise."

"I trust you." Addy assured him.

"Good. I'll ask you about your essay that was leaked in the papers this week, that should take up most of your interview time. I only need one good minute from you, two at the most."

"You're really not even going to mention the scandal?" Addy asked, relieved. "Not even indirectly?" Her mom had told her that this would be the case, but it was still a huge weight off of Addy's shoulders to have it confirmed by Gavril.

He squeezed her hand, "The only scandal is the way the free press has treated you over the last week. That is their shame to bear, not yours. Until your Selection, whom you choose to kiss is entirely your business. I won't say a word about it, unless you really want me to."

Addy slid out of her tall makeup chair and hugged him. "Thank you, Dabby. I'm sorry I made such a headache for you this week."

"Not to worry Princess, I know that my retirement package is getting bigger by the day." he winked.

"You'll have whatever you want and more." Addy agreed with a giggle.

The purple curtains at the front of the _Report_ set swung closed with the hissing of rope ties across a metal baton. Jamesy and Maisy guided Lief and Rosie over to America. Maxon approached Addy with his palm outstretched.

"Ready, little Love?" he asked as Addy placed her palm in his.

"I guess I have to be." Addy pressed her lips together nervously. "I wish I could go back in time. The whole world loved me when I was a cute little kid, no matter what I did right or wrong. But fast forward a couple of years, and now it's like they're _glad_ that I failed…"

Maxon shook his head, "You're going to find that there are still plenty of people rooting for you, my darling, it just looks different when they aren't cooing and fawning over you as they did when you were Rosie's age. You'll learn to recognize and appreciate their new way in time. And there will _always_ be those who want us to fail. What matters is that we do our best to be worthy of our positions, no matter what the naysayers might think."

Addy allowed her dad to begin to lead her over to her mother and siblings, still mulling over his words. He'd grown up royal before she had, he probably knew what he was talking about.

"Do you still think I'm as cute as Rosie?" Addy pouted a little at him.

Maxon chuckled, "Of course. You'll always be my baby bird."

"What about when I'm an old lady?"

"You'll be my grey-headed baby goose."

Addy snorted, which caused Maxon to snort, but America saved them from falling into an endless cycle of unfortunate laughter by taking command of the situation.

"Adrienne, sweetheart, I want you to go last."

"Last?" She was the eldest, she usually went first on these kinds of interviews.

"We'll go in reverse order, it'll keep the audience engaged, so just sit in the chair at the far end please, and help your siblings find their seats."

Addy didn't have time for more questions. America and Maxon were already crossing the soundstage, obscured from the audience's view behind the purple curtains, speaking rapidly in hushed tones, probably about their own segment of the interview.

Rosie was ecstatic when Addy helped Maisy usher their youngest sister into the first arm chair. The littlest Schreave couldn't believe that she got to sit in her big sister's chair and go _first_ in the interview. She swung her little legs so quickly that her chair started hopping and Maisy had to lean over Lief to shush her.

"Are you alright?" Jamesy whispered to Addy as they sat down in the final two arm chairs. On the other side of the curtains, the audience cheered and the theme music played; the show was starting.

Addy nodded, not sure if she was lying to him or not.

"If you need out, tell them I showed you my plant sketches for biology lessons." he whispered so softly, Addy wondered if she'd misheard him.

"What? Why?"

"It'll end your interview. Dabby can talk to me about plants until time's up."

Addy looked at her little brother with a mixture of awe and gratitude, then smiled and said, "What if I have to say that first thing?"

Before he could tease her, the curtains swung open and the bright lights hit their faces as the audience burst into applause at the sight of them. From the other side of the stage, ready and waiting for the second act of the show, Maxon and America nodded delicately in royal greeting to the crowd. Addy pasted her princess smile on her face, squaring her shoulders and composing herself to play the part of diligent heir.

It felt duplicitous, trying to trick these ordinary citizens into thinking that she was better than she really was. Maybe what had been so jarring about the tabloid scandal was that it had threatened to reveal Addy's true unworthiness to the entire world. For a moment, the illusion had been broken and the whole world had glimpsed what the future of the Illéan monarchy really was: one hapless teenager with no idea what she was doing.

When Gavril took his seat at an angle to Rosie's, Rosie nearly slid out of her chair she was so antsy. Gavril asked her how she was doing in lessons, and Rosie told him all about the books she was reading and the math she was learning. Gavril asked her a math problem that had been provided to him by Miss Alvaraz, and Rosie fell still for the first time all interview as she scrunched her blonde brow in concentration, counting on her little fingers. Her face lit up when she'd worked out the answer and Gavril congratulated her on her impressive skills.

For Lief, he was eager to show off his art practice. America smiled proudly at her redheaded son as he gave Gavril and Illéa a quick demonstration of his sketching abilities. He drew Gavril's face, and the cartoonish likeness was certainly there, though there was plenty to giggle at for the audience. Gavril thanked Lief for the masterpiece, had the little boy autograph it, and promised to frame it over his mantle at home. Addy knew how sentimental he was, so she had no doubt that he would.

Maisy discussed astronomy, and the lessons she was learning about the age of the universe based on the speed of light and the distance of far off stars. Behind Gavril, in the shadows on the far side of the sound stage, Addy saw her mother slip a hand over her fathers' and squeeze. Addy could tell they were proud of Maisy, for no other reason than that Maisy was keeping up with her lessons. Addy wondered sullenly if her parents could ever be so effortlessly proud of her again, or if the bar would always be higher now that Addy had disgraced the monarchy.

Jamesy talked about the lessons he was learning from Maxon, in taking on so many of Addy's responsibilities. Addy could tell he was happy to have something knowledgable to say about the price of wheat and the improvements to the major highway that connected the northern and southern provinces.

When the camera turned to face Addy, her stomach clenched. Her heart seemed to freeze in her chest as the red light above the lens illuminated to tell her that the image was being beamed out to the entire world. Was it her imagination, or did the audience draw a collective breath, too?

"Princess Adrienne, it is wonderful to see you tonight."

"Thank you, Gavril, it's wonderful to be here." her mouth was in autopilot. It knew the right phrases to say, the right notes to hit. Inside, Addy was quaking.

"If I'm not mistaken, you have final examinations at university next week."

"That's right, and then I'll have a small break before summer session begins."

"Are any of your exams looming particularly large in your imagination? Any grades you're most concerned about?"

"I worry about all of them, but that's just because I always want to do my best."

"And I'm sure you shall." Gavril smiled encouragingly. "Now, your Highness, forgive me for mentioning it, but one of your recent essays on diplomatic policy was leaked to the press this week. While it's an unacceptable breach of your privacy as a student, I must say, it has gotten rave reviews from many of the King's own advisers. How does that feel?"

The autopilot disengaged. Addy found control of her lips again and for a moment, she was terrified that she wouldn't know what to say. She wondered for a wild heartbeat how she could reply to his question with something about Jamesy's flower sketches. Then, in a moment of clarity, all her public relations training came back to her. She'd been doing this since she'd first learned to talk, she knew exactly what to say to sell the story of the dutiful heir.

"It's always good to have the support of my father's council, but what's far more important to me is that I've earned some of their respect. I have a long way to go over the next few years as I prepare for my coronation, but I intend to be ready from the moment the crown is placed on my head. The advisers won't need to test me to make sure I'm fit to serve, they're going to know me and know the agenda for the country from the very start. I wish I could have submitted that essay in my own time, polished and formatted as a proposal, but it is definitely reassuring to know that if I had done that, the advisers would have approved."

There was a pause as the live audience applauded Addy's answer.

When the studio was again quiet, Gavril said, "It's clear that you're working very hard to prepare yourself for your future role as Queen. Whatever those professors at your school are doing, it's working. I had better wrap this interview up so that your brothers and sisters will make it to bed on time and you can get back to preparing for your exams."

"No Dabby, I want to stay with you." Rosie grinned from ear to ear, a devious ploy to derail her bedtime schedule.

The audience laughed at the five-year-old's antics.

Weakened by her cuteness, Gavril wilted in his chair, leaning toward her to say, "I'm afraid your mommy would _banish_ me if you were cranky tomorrow because I let you stay up late." The audience tittered as the crew rushed to properly light Queen America and swing a camera over for her reaction shot.

Ever the professional, America held her reaction until the red light above the camera lens was on, and then she sent Rosie and Gavril nothing but a patented 'Don't test my patience' mommy eyebrow lift.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is definitely my cue to dismiss the children."

The audience laughed and cheered as one by one, starting with Rosie, each of the children hugged or shook Gavril's hand in parting. When it was Addy's turn, Gavril clasped her hand warmly with both of his.

"Thank you Gavril." Addy said softly. The people watching on television would likely be able to read her lips, but no one could hear over the cheers of the audience.

"You did splendidly." Gavril reassured her simply. It was all he could say, though she was certain he'd have a more detailed review for her the following day.

Addy felt better on her way back to her bedroom. No one in the crowd had revolted. No one had shouted at her or called her something nasty because of the photographs. It had been practically _normal_.

But as relieved as she was, she still had the niggling feeling in the back of her mind that she was in a bubble. She wasn't hearing the worst of what was being said about her, and there were probably plenty of people out in the Illéa who would have called her something nasty if they'd only been given the chance. She had no idea where she really stood, who had forgiven her and who would never forgive her, or what more she could do to make things right.

* * *

Addy spent a few hours in the library that night, desperately trying to figure out what she should be studying for her exams. She didn't have any of her course syllabi with her, and if any of her professors had handed out exam review sheets, she wouldn't have access to them until she got back to school. Ultimately, she wasn't doing much good and was slowly, steadily working herself up into an anxiety attack. She decided to drown her woes in hot water and lavender body oil and figure the rest out when she got back to campus and could actually study.

When she'd soaked so long that the water had turned cold, Addy's skin was soft enough that she wanted to brag about it. She slipped into her pajamas and tiptoed into the family room to see who was still awake. Jamesy and Maisy had already gone to bed, it seemed, but the door was open to Maxon's bedroom. Inside, Addy could hear her parents' voices softly recounting their days.

Addy gently knocked on the frame of the door to draw attention to herself.

"What are you up to, Bird?" America asked from where she lounged on the bed, hair cascading in red waves around her.

"I smell good. Want to smell?" Addy offered her arm.

America nodded, patting the mattress beside her. Addy climbed into the bed and lifted her elbow to her mothers' nose.

"Mmm, who gave you that one?" America asked.

"Aunt Waverly."

"I love it."

"You can borrow it."

"I absolutely will."

"I want to sniff." Maxon pouted. He hated being left out, just because he wasn't as familiar with scented oils as his wife and daughter were.

Addy crawled down to the foot of the bed and reached up to where he stood, still buttoning up his nightshirt. He sniffed her wrist and nodded decisively. "Very… um… stinky."

America and Addy both laughed and Addy tried to scold him, _"Daddy."_

He stood by his assessment, walking around Addy to slide into his bed. He fished his reading glasses out of his breast pocket and slid them on his nose. He clicked on his lamp and pulled over a report.

"Come on Addy, let's give your father some peace and quiet." America stood up with the enormous effort required of a comfortable person to leave a soft bed. She opened the door to the balcony and waited for her daughter to join her.

"No, let's make him struggle." Addy sprawled a hand over Maxon's report so he couldn't read, only to dance out of the way as he attempted to tickle her in retribution.

Maxon and Addy made taunting faces at one another all the way until America dragged Addy outside and closed the door between them.

"You did wonderfully on the _Report_ tonight, Adrienne." America said, sliding into one of the enormous cushioned lounge chairs and patting the empty space next to her for Addy to join.

"Do you think it was enough?" Addy asked, curling up next to her mother. There was just enough room for them to fit, but they were shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg.

"Enough for what?" America asked curiously. "Enough for the country to forget about the sight of you in your underwear? Sweetie, nothing short of mass amnesia would make that happen, and even then I'm not sure that your Uncle Aspen would have recovered."

Addy frowned at their bare toes, "Fine. Make fun of me."

"I'm not! But I want you to have realistic goals so that you're not mad at yourself tomorrow when everyone wakes up and still remembers that tabloid."

She supposed that was fair. But if she wasn't fixing her mistake, what had been the point of the interview?

"Maybe somebody will decide they like me anyway." Addy mused out loud. "Maybe they'll see the interview and decide that they don't care that I'm a harlot."

America snorted through her nose, the closed sound of someone who'd tried and failed to stifle the laughter. "Baby, you are _not_ a harlot!"

"Yes I am, I'm a scarlet woman." Addy insisted dramatically.

"Why?"

"I have loose lips!"

America chuckled, "Okay, fine, if that's what you want. You're a woman of ill repute."

Addy nodded, satisfied, "I'm wild and no one will ever be able to tame me."

America tugged Addy's hand up to her lips and kissed it, growing serious and thoughtful with the gesture. "You've never been wild unless you were sad or scared. When you were growing up, the only trouble you ever gave your father and I was when we'd missed a step, overlooked something. It was so predictable, we started using your behavior as a barometer for our parenting. Bird… that's not why you ran away, is it? Were you sad or scared?"

"No!" Addy rushed to insist. "I was happy, Mom, it was joyful."

America studied Addy's face for any hint of a lie, trying to find some way to blame this on her own parenting, but finally she nodded.

Addy added, "The only hint of sadness I felt at that party was that I'd never get to go to anything like it again, once I become Queen. But that wasn't sadness or fear, that was… something like wistfulness or longing… something more exquisite and complex than pure joy or pure sadness, it was a swirl of both."

America slid lower in the seat and rested her head on her daughter's shoulder. "I think I can understand that. Your father and I said 'goodbye' to each other dozens of times before we said 'I do'."

"Do you think love is supposed to be that way?" Addy asked, wondering if it had all come too easily with Martin. Wondering if, because it had been easily built, it was fragile.

"No. Love is not supposed to be a competition or a fight." America said clearly and firmly, a sentiment Addy had heard from her before. "But it is supposed to be worth fighting for. There's a difference."

Addy studied her knees, wondering if this had all been a first taste of the battles to come.

"Sweetheart, it's okay to feel whatever you're feeling… I can't even imagine how overwhelming this is for you. But you have to remember one thing, okay?" America lifted her head to look Addy in the eyes.

"What?"

"A year from now, everything will be different."

"…What?"

"This scandal will be a distant memory, you'll be finishing up with university, and anything that feels overwhelming or impossible now will be nothing but a vague hiccough in your past. Now is not forever, Birdy."

Addy let her mom's comforting words soothe all her worries ten times more effectively than the lavender bath had. She couldn't wait to look back on this terrible week and find that she'd forgotten the spiky details, and could only remember the way her family and loved ones had swooped in to defend her when she'd been unable to defend herself. She vowed to make a note on her personal calendar for one year from today, a reminder to pause and be grateful that, whatever her new woes would be, she'd never have to make the same mistakes twice.

* * *

The next morning Gavril requested an appointment with Addy after lunch, just as Addy had predicted, to review her performance on the _Report_. Addy spent the morning swimming with Lief, then had lunch with Maisy, then lazily made her way to her office where Gavril would meet her. She sank into the chair behind her desk and spun in a couple of circles to get the nervous energy out. She was expecting to hear from her dad and Uncle Aspen any minute now about a new guard unit. Once it was secure, and they had confirmation from the guards at the university that the paparazzi had thinned out enough, Addy would have permission to go back to school. All she wanted in the world was to cook dinner with Martin and study with Lenore and find some way to make things right with Meri and Kile.

Before long there was a knock on her door; Gavril was never one to keep his princess waiting. He thanked her for agreeing to meet with him and then sat down in the chair across from her desk.

"I put a poll out as soon as last nights' episode finished airing, asking citizens whether they have a generally positive or negative view of you. I kept the question vague and didn't mention the tabloids at all, because it's still too recent to know who will care about it long-term. Does that make sense?" he paused.

"I think so." Addy nodded.

"So this will give us a broad, loose idea of where you stand moving forward."

"Okay."

"It's early, but preliminary returns suggest that most people still have a favorable view of you, Princess. Not everyone, it would never be everyone, but still a healthy majority."

"That's really good to hear."

"It should be." Gavril nodded, "That's very good news. Of course the numbers aren't as high as your siblings, but they're somewhat akin to your parents. Your siblings are just a group of adorable, famous kids who volunteer for good causes on the weekends. You are the future leader of our nation. To my mind, that explains the difference more than any leaked photograph does. What do you think?"

Addy tried not to let her pride sting that there were people out there who had loved her when she was in diapers, and didn't like her at all anymore. Instead she asked, "Maybe it's the uncertainty? No one knows what kind of leader I'll be yet, not even me."

Gavril nodded, opened his to reply, then thought better of it and closed it. Then he decided it really was worth saying, so he proceeded cautiously, "Some of it is likely down to your gender, too. Even if they're not consciously aware of it, there are people out there who will be uneasy with you in charge because you don't look or sound like the leaders they grew up respecting."

"But everyone says I have my dad's nose." Addy joked lamely. Then she sighed and leant back in her chair. "What do I do? Do I put on a pantsuit and try to lower my voice so I sound more familiar to them?"

Gavril shook his head, "I don't think so. I don't know. I don't know how you overcome biases people aren't even willing to acknowledge. Don't ever expect perfect approval, Princess, it doesn't exist. Do your best to serve your country faithfully, do your best to put on a good show for the citizens, and this blend of politics and pageantry that we call a monarchy will be just fine."

Addy leant across her desk and squeezed his hand. "Thanks, Dabby."

He nodded and stared down at his clipboard, clearly wrestling with something. Addy prompted him by asking, "What is it?"

He was still reluctant to speak, but he slowly managed, "Well, uh… you see…" he clicked his tongue as his mind continued to whir, figuring out the best way to continue. "About the magazine…"

Addy's gaze immediately dropped to her lap as her cheeks flushed. She was about to be chastised, she just knew it.

"Did you… Did you look inside of it?" he asked hesitantly.

Addy blinked up at him, surprised and suddenly horrified of whatever had made him ask. "No, of course not."

Gavril nodded as if he'd expected as much. "Most Illéans didn't. The cover was salacious enough all on its own, and it takes a particular type of person to go so far as to _buy_ that garbage and bring it into their home for perusal."

Addy didn't know what he was getting at, but she supposed that whatever he'd found in there, she was glad most people hadn't seen it.

But what could it be? What could be worse than her in her underwear, exchanging tongues with a boy in a swimming pool?

Gavril continued, "It's my job to know _everything_ about the media coverage, I don't want you to think I was being voyeuristic—"

Addy stopped him right there, "I would _never_ think that. I know I put you in a terrible position with those photographs, I'm sorry you've had to look at them so much." She'd only glanced at them a few times, but they were burned in her memory in perfect detail. She couldn't imagine how terrible Gavril's week had been, trying to bury them for her.

He seemed relieved to know that she still had a high opinion of him. He said, "There was one picture on the inside of the magazine that stood out."

"What was it?" she was afraid to ask.

"Another kiss with the same boy."

"That's the only boy I've ever kissed, Dabby." Addy reiterated firmly.

He nodded, as if that was good news that made his life easier. Still, "This one isn't like the others…" he sighed and looked down at the folder in his arms. "It's from another day, it was taken somewhere else. You're both wearing different clothes, and the background isn't the same."

"Someone stalked us? Was that photographer following us around campus before the party?" Addy was horrified, eyes wide at the thought of that kind of invasion of privacy. For a wild moment, she thought of her father's file full of threats against her life. Was the photographer as insane as that?

"No… Princess…" he shook his head then said gently, " _Adrienne_." he wasn't being her adviser now, instead he was holding that almost grandfatherly position he'd held for all of her life. "The photographs were posed. You and the boy posed for them."

Addy shook her head, "Impossible. We never posed for pictures like that. Except, earlier in the night at that party, Martin snapped a quick picture of us kissing, but it was the same clothes. The same location. You're wrong. Neither of us even has a camera."

Gavril looked down at her table, eyes full of sympathy. "Do you want to see them?"

She didn't, but she had to figure out what was going on.

He handed her a thin manila folder and she slowly flipped it open.

The pages inside were ripped from the magazine, and Addy was grateful that she wouldn't have to flip through the cover and whatever else had been published just to find what he was talking about. He'd spared her that pain.

But he couldn't spare her from what came next.

Addy found herself looking down at a glossy reprinting of the photo strip she and Martin had posed for on their very first date, at the fall festival. This wasn't just any kiss, this was her _first_ kiss.

Before she could stop herself, she was crying. Not graceful, gentle teardrops slipping softly down her cheek— big sobs, runny nose, ugly tears kind of crying. That kiss had been _hers_ , it had been private. That first date had been for _her, not_ for the people of Illéa. They would get their turn when her Selection came, why wasn't that enough for them? Why did they have to take this from her, too? She'd carefully guarded that first thrill of romance all for herself, for all these months. Almost nothing in her entire life had been all for herself, it had all been part of the show that the monarchy put on for the public. That first kiss was supposed to be _hers,_ and it had been stolen from her forever.

This was just as bad as the cover, if not worse. This wasn't just an invasion of privacy, it was a violation of something she could never get back, her very first kiss. She felt sick to her stomach, and all she could think about was undoing it somehow. A time machine, a magic spell, _anything_ to take it back.

At some point, Addy wasn't sure when, Gavril had come around the desk to rub her back. "I'm so sorry." he said. He had no idea what that picture meant to her, but he knew she was heartbroken. He'd had a sense that she'd be hurt by it when he'd first brought it up, that's why he'd been so hesitant to do it, but he had felt that he owed it to her to try to get to the bottom of things.

"How could that photographer have gotten those pictures, Addy?" Gavril asked softly as he handed her his handkerchief.

Addy blew her nose on it, vowing to have it cleaned and returned to him by the end of the day. "I don't know. My copy is safe in my dorm, guarded day and night by Illéan and English soldiers."

"Who else has a copy?"

"Only Martin."

"The boy?" he clarified. Addy nodded and Gavril said, "Okay. How could Martin's copy have ended up with the photographer?"

"He must have been robbed." Addy realized. "When we took our clothes off to jump in the pool, the photographer must have gone through Martin's pockets and stolen it."

"You think this boy brought the picture to the party for some reason?" Gavril clarified.

Addy shrugged. It was the only thing that made sense.

Gavril frowned, but he nodded. "I just want to make sure we're not dealing with a broader privacy breach here."

"I'll call him. Maybe his roommates took it or… he needs to know he was robbed."

Gavril looked like he wanted to say more, but this time he held his tongue. "I'll leave you to it, then. I'm so sorry that this has happened, Princess."

He straightened and bowed, then turned and left the office, closing the door softly behind him.

Addy buried her face in the clean part of the handkerchief and gave herself a few seconds to pull herself together. Martin was going to be devastated, too. She really wished she could be there with him to talk this through. His privacy had been violated just as much as hers had.

After a few gulps of air, Addy picked up the telephone on her desk and dialed the number she'd called a hundred times from her dormitory, and several times from her room upstairs in the Palace, but never from this office. The keys sounded different as she pressed them, but they connected her to the same boy.

"Addy?"

"It's me."

"Oh. The number is different, but it's still a Palace line, I didn't know—"

"It's my office telephone. It's the one we give to people who have official royal business with me."

He paused, "I see." he sounded amused. "Does that mean I'm official royal business now?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Good." he liked this news.

"Martin, listen…" she sniffled and wiped her nose on the handkerchief again. "You might already know, I'm not sure… did you see anything inside of the tabloid?"

Martin paused uncomfortably, "Have you been crying, Addy? Or are you sick?"

"Crying." Addy confessed, because she hoped he'd worry less about that.

There was a shuffle on the other end of the phone, some kind of movement, then he said, "What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you okay?"

"It's about what's in the tabloid." Addy explained. "Did you see it?"

"No. I haven't seen the magazine at all in real life. I've seen a picture of it that my roommate took so I'd know what the hell was going on, that's all."

"None of your roommates bought it?" she was surprised, but grateful.

"Of course not." the very idea of that kind of betrayal repulsed him.

"Well… there were more pictures inside the tabloid. Martin, they got our photo strip from the fall festival… they… they got our first kiss…"

She waited for the news to land, for Martin to experience the devastation she was feeling.

He exhaled a soft swear, "How the hell did he get it?" he was talking about that traitorous photographer now.

"I don't know. Mine is still in my room, where's yours?"

There was a long silence. Had they lost their telephone connection? "Martin?"

"I…"

Addy shifted in her seat anxiously, "Are you okay?

"Addy…" Now it was hitting him. Now there were tears in his voice, too. He'd been stunned before, but now reality was setting in.

"Someone stole it from you, didn't they?" Addy said, her suspicions confirmed. "Where do you think it was taken? Did they break into your room, or were you carrying it somewhere?"

"Addy—"

"It's okay if you were carrying it around! I know I said it needed to be a secret, but I think it's sweet if you were keeping it with you as a token of your affection—"

" _Addy_." He insisted this time, so she stopped trying to console him. "I gave it to them."

Addy blinked, annoyed that anyone would ever imply that Martin would do such a thing, including Martin himself, "No you didn't." she snapped.

"Yes, I did." he replied simply.

"You would never do that." Addy couldn't say why she was arguing with him about this, except that this was all a misunderstanding, and Martin didn't understand that it had been _stolen_. "Maybe if I hadn't asked you to keep it a secret, but I did, so…"

"I didn't give it to them to keep. I _leant_ it to the secret society. To Cory, Audrina, and Antony. It was supposed to be private, but… that photographer must have gotten it somehow." he sounded miserable.

Addy had to sit with that for a long moment. Why on earth would he ever do such a thing? It made no sense. Why would he risk their privacy like that?

Slowly, realization dawned on her. "You said they invited you to join their society because they were impressed by you. Am I what impressed them about you? Am I the only reason they invited you?" Addy's voice rose as she focused on repressing the flair of anger in her chest.

"No!" he rushed to defend himself. "They scouted me on their own! I just… I needed something to make me stand out. Addy, I'm _not_ good enough to date the future Queen of Illéa, I've never understood why you can't see that. I'm nobody from nowhere, but that society is going to connect me with everyone I need to know. With their help, I can become good enough for you. I'll have earned the right to date you."

"Martin, _I decide_ who has the right to date me, and no professional connections will change that. I already chose you. Did I _ever_ make you feel like you weren't good enough for me?"

Martin made an uncomfortable noise. "Not… not on purpose."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Standing in the middle of that Easter party at the Palace, I feel like I saw us from the outside for the first time. I'm a joke compared to them—"

"To who?!"

"To the people you grew up with! I mean, come on Addy, open your eyes! What do you think people are going to say about me now that they're learning who I am?" he asked frustratedly. "If I want a serious chance with you, I need help."

Addy let her head fall back against her chair. "Martin, you're the stupidest person in the entire world."

"I know." he replied miserably.

"You weren't even robbed. You gave up our picture for a chance at looking good to a bunch of snobs."

"Yes. And now I don't even have my copy. That photographer probably sold it." Martin lamented. Then he swore loudly for good measure.

Addy didn't know what to say anymore. She ached all over. She ached for Martin and the vulnerability he'd been too afraid to show her, and the naiveté of a boy who thought he could just loan out a picture of himself kissing a princess with no repercussions. And she ached for herself, for the sanctity of that first kiss which was now stolen forever. She was mad at him and sad for him, and filled with regret and mourning about this whole week.

"I'll be back at school soon." Addy said in a tired, numb tone. "Maybe everything will be better once we're finally back together."

There was a silence as Martin exhaled. "Yeah." he said with the last of his breath.

"I'll see you then."

"Okay. I'll see you then."


End file.
